Prison libraries, intellectual freedom and social justice in Nigeria

Authors

Olusegun Adebayo Opesanwo, Dominion University, Ibadan, Oyo State, NigeriaFollow
Oluyomi Abidemi Awofeso PhDFollow

Date of this Version

2023

Abstract

This paper deployed a systematic review to examine prison libraries and intellectual freedom towards attaining social justice in Nigeria. Information resources used cover the periods of 2010 and 2020 to articulate the necessary development in prison libraries, intellectual freedom and social justice in Nigeria. Search engines such as Google scholar, Semantic Scholar, and RefSeek were used to retrieve information and through different queries yielded several results but very few of them were selected to fit in the study due to limited studies directed to address the focus of this study particularly in the Nigeria scenario. Information obtained were subjected to content analysis following relevant themes of the research questions and relevant information obtained were subjected to analysis using a systematic review approach of relevant articles and information to achieve the major objectives of the study. Results were presented with respect to the research question of the study. The findings revealed that prison inmates in Nigeria have several information needs which include current affairs, legal information, religious information, health information, psychological information, recreational information, vocational information, educational information. recreational information and also financial needs. Despite the huge needs of these inmates, prison libraries provide very few, restricting access to majority to inmates. This could pose significant effect on inmates in the long run particularly in the prison and after serving their prison punishment hence, affecting the attainment of social justice society in Nigeria and also the attainment of SDG. To this end, the study recommends that various information needs are to be considered and met by prison libraries towards ensuring intellectual freedom and ensuring a social justice community and prison libraries should be provided with several needed facilities and funds that could make it possible to meet the intellectual freedom of inmates towards ensuring a social justice society.