Perceived Effect of Information on Reformation of Prisoners in Ogun State, Nigeria

The paper principally focused on perception of prisoners and prison officials on the effect of information on the reformation of prisoners. Using the descriptive and quantitative approach, i.e. questionnaires and visits to the prison yards, the paper established that prisoners do need information for survival while serving sentence but more importantly as a tool for rehabilitation and reformation in preparation for life after prison. Majority of the prisoners surveyed 96 % believe that information is an important tool for reformation. Though it was established that Library is a good source of information to prisoners as stated in international (UN ECOSOC Article 40, 1977) and government policies, the facility was lacking in the two prisons surveyed due to lack of adequate funding and policy of information restriction. Prison managers had to rely on non-governmental organizations (mostly religious bodies) for the provision of reading materials. In order to make information available to prisoners, recommendations ranging from adequate funding, need for professional associations’ intervention like their counterparts in developed countries to the need for public libraries in Nigeria to focus on special groups like prisoners in their information provision activities were made.