FRAGMENTED HOMES AND ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES AS PREDICTORS OF RECIDIVISM AMONG INMATES OF KEFFI MEDIUM SECURITY CORRECTIONAL CUSTODIAL CENTRE, NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

ABSTRACT

This study investigated Fragmented Homes and Adverse Childhood Experiences as Predictors of Recidivism among Inmates of Keffi Medium Security Correctional Custodial Centre, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The data were collected from a sample of 232 inmates at Keffi Correctional Centre through a structured questionnaire. The convenience sampling technique was adopted to select the participants. The participants comprises of 156 males and 76 females of ages 18 and above. The results of the first hypothesis revealed that there is a statistically significant relationship between fragmented homes and recidivism, R = .348, R² = .121, F (1, 230) = 44.544, p < .001. The results of the second hypothesis revealed a significant negative relationship between ACEs and recidivism, which means ACEs explained 5.0% of the variance in recidivism among inmates. The third hypothesis used multiple regression mode, because it measured all the three variables in the study. The results revealed that fragmented homes and ACEs together accounted for 38.4% of the variance in recidivism among the inmates. Specifically, fragmented homes significantly predicted recidivism (β = .129, t = 3.177, p = .002, 95% CI [0.138, 0.585]), and adverse childhood experiences had a stronger and more significant predictive effect (β = .598, t = 14.722, p < .001, 95% CI [1.122, 1.468]). The major findings showed that both fragmented home and early childhood experience jointly predict recidivism among inmates. These findings were discussed in the light of relevant literature and it was recommended that government and relevant stakeholders develop community-based reintegration and support systems for ex-offenders.

Keyword: recidivism, fragmented home, early childhood experiences, inmates, Keffi