HARNESSING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR VOCATIONAL SKILL DEVELOPMENT IN AKWA IBOM STATE CORRECTIONAL CENTRES

This study examined the integration of emerging technologies in correctional centers to enhance vocational skill acquisition among adult inmates in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Three research questions, three hypotheses and descriptive survey research design was adopted to guide the study. A population of 1045 (comprising 328 convicted inmates and 616 instructors) was used for the study. A sample of 91 (comprising of 60 convicted inmates and 31 Instructors) were purposively sampled from the 4 custodial centres in the study area. A 28-item questionnaire faced validated by five experts was used to collect data for the study. Cronbach alpha statistics was used to determine the reliability coefficient of the instrument which yielded overall reliability index of .82 comprising of .79, .86 and .81 for Section B, C and D respectively indicating that the instrument was reliable. A five-point rating scale was provided for the respondents to make their responses on the research questions. The research questions were analyzed using Mean and standard deviation while independent t-test was used to test the hypothesis at .05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed non availability and non-utilization of emerging technologies for vocational skills acquisition in correctional centres in Akwa Ibom State. The findings further indicated that challenges such as limited access to technology, inadequate infrastructure and resistance to change hinder the effective implementation and scalability of emerging technological solutions. From the findings of the study, it was recommended that investing in infrastructure, and providing training and support to staff and inmates, correctional authorities can harness the transformative potential of technology to empower inmates with valuable skills, improve rehabilitation outcomes, and promote successful reintegration into society