AGRICULTURAL REHABILITATION: NIGERIA'S CUSTODIAL EXEMPLAR FOR THE PERIPHERIES

Abstract

Rising recidivism among ex-offenders implies dysfunctional custodial rehabilitation. This study examines how existing custodial rehabilitation norms predispose inmates to re-offence upon release in Nigeria. This article anchors its explanation of the problem on the combination of Thomas Kuhn's theory of revolution and the social farming theory. It used mixed methods to collect data from 284 inmate and non-inmate respondents. While quantitative data were analyzed at three levels, qualitative data were analyzed in terms of content and theme. Quantitative findings confirmed a significant positive relationship between inmates' custodial agricultural skills and re-offence in the study area (Exp ẞ.177, P value <.05). Qualitative findings acknowledged the failure of existing rehabilitative norms to reform inmates because they did not resonate with local realities. It concludes that a paradigm shift from a barren rehabilitative norm to a productive custodial agricultural rehabilitation is desirable. Until custodial rehabilitative desire incorporates agriculture into restorative and healing templates, corrections may develop irreconcilable internal contradictions that may hinder inmates' positive character modification for productive community reentry. The study, therefore, proposes four agriculture-based structures to harness the transformative potential of custodial agricultural rehabilitation, enabling inmates, upon release, to develop self-confidence, confront inertia, and build safer communities in Nigeria.