EXPLORING REHABILITATION AND SCHOOL REINTEGRATION INTERVENTIONS FOR INMATES WITH DUAL DIAGNOSIS TO MITIGATE THE SCHOOL-TO-PRISON TREND IN NIGERIA

Matthew ORIM

Doctoral thesis

Abstract:

The school-to-prison pipeline is one of the most overwhelming challenges facing special education in Nigeria. The trend of directly referring erring students to law enforcement for committing certain offenses at school or creating conditions under which students are more likely to become involved in the criminal justice system has become alarming. Instead of providing support and opportunities for these students, they often face harsh disciplinary measures like imprisonment that increase their chances of becoming involved in more criminal activities. Many teachers and parents of children with dual diagnosis have consistently decry the manner at which their students and wards are been funneled out of the classroom into the criminal justice system without provision of support and rehabilitative services. School-to-prison pipeline often lacks diversion programmes such as forensic psychotherapies, prison special education, vocational training and mental healthcare for offenders with dual diagnosis. This work comprehensively identifies and describes specific, evidence-based tools to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline that lawmakers, the criminal justice system, school administrators, and teachers can immediately support and implement. The study adopted a descriptive survey design of correlational type. Purposive sampling technique was used to sample 320 respondents comprising of 216 parents, 98 teachers and 6 State Comptroller of Correctional Services. Three instruments: Rehabilitation Interventions for School Reintegration (RISR), Inventory of Prevalence, Rearrests and Crime (IPRC) and unstructured interview self- developed and validated with reliability coefficients ranging from 0.85 to 0.89 were administered to the 320 respondents. Three research questions were raised and answered in the study. Six hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The data collected were statistically analyzed using descriptive analysis, PPMC Analysis and multiple regression analysis. The findings indicate that between 2010 and 2021, about 576,867 students with dual diagnoses ended up in the Nigerian criminal justice system after being pushed out of school. The study also shows that rehabilitation programmes and services for these inmates are scarce or absent. However, the analysis revealed that several interventionscognitive behavioral therapy (r = 0.726, p < 0.05), family therapy (r = 0.758, p < 0.05), mental health services (r = 0.505, p < 0.05), correctional special education (r = 0.627, p < 0.05), and vocational skills training (r = 0.762, p < 0.05)all have a significant positive relationship with successful school reintegration after release. It also found that these five variables make 82% (Adj. R2 = 0.82) contribution to effective post-release school reintegration of school-to- prison inmates with dual diagnosis. Similarly, the result also showed that cognitive behavioural therapy, family therapy, mental healthcare services, correctional special education and vocational training individually makes significant contribution to effective post-release school reintegration of school-to-prison inmates with dual diagnosis. It is concluded based on the findings of the study that cognitive behavioural therapy, family therapy, mental healthcare services, correctional special education and vocational training are germane to effective post-release school reintegration of school-to-prison inmates with dual diagnosis. Based on these, it was recommended amongst others that schools, the criminal justice system and other law enforcement agencies should implement these effective tools to disrupt the created school-to-prison pipeline in order to foster post-release school reintegration offenders with dual diagnosis

Abstract:

The school-to-prison pipeline is one of the most overwhelming challenges facing special education in Nigeria. The trend of directly referring erring students to law enforcement for committing certain offenses at school or creating conditions under which students are more likely to become involved in the criminal justice system has become alarming. Instead of providing support and opportunities for these students, they often face harsh disciplinary measures like imprisonment that increase their chances of becoming involved in more criminal activities. Many teachers and parents of children with dual diagnosis have consistently decry the manner at which their students and wards are been funneled out of the classroom into the criminal justice system without provision of support and rehabilitative services. School-to-prison pipeline often lacks diversion programmes such as forensic psychotherapies, prison special education, vocational training and mental healthcare for offenders with dual diagnosis. This work comprehensively identifies and describes specific, evidence-based tools to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline that lawmakers, the criminal justice system, school administrators, and teachers can immediately support and implement. The study adopted a descriptive survey design of correlational type. Purposive sampling technique was used to sample 320 respondents comprising of 216 parents, 98 teachers and 6 State Comptroller of Correctional Services. Three instruments: Rehabilitation Interventions for School Reintegration (RISR), Inventory of Prevalence, Rearrests and Crime (IPRC) and unstructured interview self- developed and validated with reliability coefficients ranging from 0.85 to 0.89 were administered to the 320 respondents. Three research questions were raised and answered in the study. Six hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The data collected were statistically analyzed using descriptive analysis, PPMC Analysis and multiple regression analysis. The findings indicate that between 2010 and 2021, about 576,867 students with dual diagnoses ended up in the Nigerian criminal justice system after being pushed out of school. The study also shows that rehabilitation programmes and services for these inmates are scarce or absent. However, the analysis revealed that several interventionscognitive behavioral therapy (r = 0.726, p < 0.05), family therapy (r = 0.758, p < 0.05), mental health services (r = 0.505, p < 0.05), correctional special education (r = 0.627, p < 0.05), and vocational skills training (r = 0.762, p < 0.05)all have a significant positive relationship with successful school reintegration after release. It also found that these five variables make 82% (Adj. R2 = 0.82) contribution to effective post-release school reintegration of school-to- prison inmates with dual diagnosis. Similarly, the result also showed that cognitive behavioural therapy, family therapy, mental healthcare services, correctional special education and vocational training individually makes significant contribution to effective post-release school reintegration of school-to-prison inmates with dual diagnosis. It is concluded based on the findings of the study that cognitive behavioural therapy, family therapy, mental healthcare services, correctional special education and vocational training are germane to effective post-release school reintegration of school-to-prison inmates with dual diagnosis. Based on these, it was recommended amongst others that schools, the criminal justice system and other law enforcement agencies should implement these effective tools to disrupt the created school-to-prison pipeline in order to foster post-release school reintegration offenders with dual diagnosis

Keywords

Intellectual disability, mental disorders, school-to-prison pipeline, rehabilitation, reintegration

Jazyk práce: English

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 30. 10. 2025

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Vedúci: doc. PhDr. Vojtech Regec, Ph.D.

Palacký University Olomouc

Faculty of Education

Doctoral programme / odbor:
Special Education / Special Education