AN EXAMINATION OF JUVENILE JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION AND INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF YOUNG OFFENDERS IN GORON DUTSE REMAND HOME, KANO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study is on Juvenile Justice Administration in Kano State and examines the practice and challenges in Goron Dutse Remand Home Kano State, Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to find out the practice of Juvenile Justice Administration System, identify the institutional care services offered to young offenders, and find out the challenges faced by the Juvenile Justice Administration System in Kano State, Nigeria. The study employed survey research methodology over a population of 318 officials of ministry of justice, representatives of the Nigeria Police Force, magistrate court Judges, staff and inmates of Goron Dutse remand home. 175 subjects were drawn using Krejchie and Morgan (2010) table for determining sample size. Subjects were selected from the sample purposively. Focus group discussion and interview were the instruments for data collection in the study. Instruments were validated and found reliable at 0.69 level of coefficient. Data collected in the study was analyzed qualitatively. The findings of the study revealed that there is no structured Juvenile Justice Administration in Kano State, rather the authorities made provision under the Law by appointing two Magistrate Courts charged with the responsibility of dealing with juvenile cases in Kano State, the institutional care services offered for young offenders in Kano State is Remand Home Goron Dutse meant for detention, reformation, and education of young offenders, and the challenges faced by the Juvenile Justice Administration in Kano State among others included; the problem of children locked in police stations for longer period without trial, there is no adequate legal framework for juvenile service, and poor educational arrangement to compensate for disruption of studies. Recommendations made by the study were that; Kano State government should formulate a policy that will oversee the affairs of families in issues regarding broken-homes, single-mother families, step-fathering and other related issues through the ministry for women and social development and Kano State government should establish the pre-requisite system of juvenile justice administration in line with the international standard which will oversee the affairs of juvenile within the culture and religious beliefs of the States.