Assessing Challenges Facing Rehabilitation of Prisoners in Tanzania:

Abstract

The research aimed at critically assessing challenges facing rehabilitation of prisoners in Tanzania using the case study of Arusha Central Prison. In the course of understanding the background of the study, the study was motivated by the current situation in which the government of Tanzania is considering interventions to review and improve the current criminal justice system. To align the study with the current literature, a thorough review of extant reviewed literature revealed that very little knowledge is known about the challenges facing the prisoners in the rehabilitation programmes undertaken in Tanzania. The literature highlighted that there are globally known challenges of the rehabilitation programmes in which prisoners face, such as lack of best accommodative physical infrastructure and difficulty in accessing education services, the literature lacks insightful data on the contextual challenges facing the rehabilitation programme in prisons on Tanzania. So the research aim above was studied using three research objectives listed in section 1.3.2 (a)-(c). Importantly, to meet the above aim and objectives of the research, the methodology was planned and adopted through a thorough review of the literature to determine the best-fit methodology. As the result, the research adopted a case study design and a qualitative approach in which data collection, analysis and presentation was done using qualitative techniques, as further discussed in chapter three of this thesis. The research adopted interview as the main data collection tool, which was supplemented with observation and documentary review. The sampling technique was purposive, in which a saturation rule was used to obtain 121 respondents. Before data collection, the respondents were coded to allow an in-depth analysis of the qualitative data to be collected and then analysed thematically. Then, the researcher conducted an in-depth interview sessions to all 121 respondents who voluntarily had consented to give data and ethical issues were considered. The main research findings include inadequate of both professional and working tools for smooth vocational skills training in the rehabilitation programmes; unsupportive infrastructure for disabled prisoners and language barriers for foreign prisoners and lack of personalized-psychological support and in skills development. Other findings suggest that although the rehabilitation programmes suffer from the above challenges, but, prisoners are happy with the rehabilitation programmes and that it prepares them for a successful reintegration. Furthermore, the research major recommendations include first, the government should consider the rehabilitation programme as a correctional facility that require adherence to both local and international v policies and agreements; and secondly, that, the government should consider revisiting the 10% Local Government Loan regulations to include released prisoners as another beneficiary group. In addition, future research was recommended on how the prison service shall establish an outreach programmes to the communities in collaboration with other key stakeholders such Local Government Authorities and all other stakeholders in the criminal justice system in Tanzania. Moreover, the research output is a contribution to existing body of knowledge as it successfully exposed the challenges facing prisoners in the rehabilitation programme, something that is new, as before this study it stood unfounded. This study depicts what is the real situation in the rehabilitation facilities in Tanzania. The study was done at the right time in which the 6th Government regime of Tanzania is working on resolving complaints which have lasted for decades on the whole criminal justice system.