EVALUATION OF THE NIGERIA CORRECTIONAL SERVICE SYSTEM: LESSONS FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM

Abstract

The Nigerian correctional system remains one of the most challenged institutions within the country’s criminal justice architecture. Despite the enactment of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act 2019 which replaced the outdated Prisons Act and sought to reorient the system toward rehabilitation and reintegration, custodial centres continue to reflect a congested, punitive, and largely ineffective environment. The primary objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the Nigerian Correctional Service in fulfilling its statutory and humanitarian mandates of reformation, rehabilitation, and reintegration. The study evaluates legislative and policy foundations, interrogates the roots of persistent inefficiency, and extracts lessons from the more structured, rights-based UK approach. Methodologically, the paper adopts a comparative doctrinal research design, relying on statutory analysis, case law, government reports, and scholarly literature. Primary sources include the 1999 Constitution, Nigerian Correctional Service Act 2019, Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, Prisons Act 1952, the UK Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, and international human rights instruments such as the Nelson Mandela Rules and Bangkok Rules. Findings reveal that although Nigeria has made notable legislative strides, the system remains constrained by centralisation, chronic underfunding, and weak accountability mechanisms. Conversely, the UK model demonstrates how autonomy, structured oversight, victim participation, and evidence-based rehabilitation improve outcomes. The study concludes that genuine reform in Nigeria requires a shift toward restorative, transparent, and technology-driven correctional practice anchored on respect for human dignity.