The Quagmire of Juvenile Delinquency: Perspectives of Inmates and Officers in a Correctional Facility in Accra, Ghana

ABSTRACT

Drawing on Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, this study explored the experiences and perspectives of juvenile offenders and officers on juvenile delinquency in Accra, Ghana. A descriptive study design with qualitative data collection and analysis methods were employed. A purposive sampling method was used to recruit twenty-six participants, consisting of inmates and officers at a Correctional Facility. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews and the findings showed that parental neglect and abuse; financial constraints; peer influence; and exposure to community social vices influenced juveniles’ delinquent behaviors. Additionally, evidence indicated that the inmates benefited from their stay at the correctional facility with respect to their mental health and opportunity to acquire academic knowledge and vocational skills. Based on the findings, suggestions are provided on how juvenile delinquency could be prevented and controlled in Ghana.

Acknowledgments

We wish to express our gratitude to inmates and officers who participated in the study.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Notes on contributors

Mavis Dako-Gyeke

Mavis Dako-Gyeke is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Social Work, University of Ghana at Legon, Accra, Ghana. Her research areas include child and family welfare; mental health with emphasis on stigmatization and discrimination; migration; as well as adolescent and gender issues.

Abass Adam

Abass Adam graduated from the Department of Social Work, University of Ghana, Legon with Master of Philosophy Degree Programme in Social Work. He is currently studying Master of Public Policy and Leadership at Yeungnam University in South Korea. He has volunteered for several child protection and child development organizations in Ghana.

Abigail A. Mills

Abigail A. Mills is a lecturer at the Department of Social Work, University of Ghana, Legon. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Social Work from the University of Ghana. She has been involved in a variety of independent and collaborative research projects mainly in the fields of disability, education, and health. Her research collaborations cover areas, such as experiences of caregivers of children with cerebral palsy in Ghana and inclusive education for learners with special needs. She was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of South Florida, in Tampa, USA. Her current research focuses on access to sexual and reproductive health information and services by adolescents with visual and hearing impairments.