THE NIGERIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY
ISSN: 0331-4111 e-ISSN: 2736-075X
Volume 24, No. 2, November 2026
Pages 132-150
DOI: 10.36108/NJSA/6202.42.0280
Culture of Socialisation, Identity Reconstruction and Belonging in Selected Nigerian Juvenile Correctional Facilities
Alaba Oluwatoyin Oyewusi and Aderemi Suleiman Ajala
Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
Abstract
This paper explored the practice of inmate-led socialisation within two Nigerian Juvenile Correctional Facilities (JCFs), examining how juvenile inmates navigate their transition into institutional life. Drawing on ethnographic observations and in-depth interviews with ten consenting inmates, this article examined how institutional rituals detach new juvenile inmates from their former identities and subsequently integrate them into the inmate social order. The data reveal the practice of structured socialisation rituals for new entrants at the sampled JCFs, which symbolise separation, transition, and incorporation. Though punitive in nature, these rituals not only foster a transformative process through which new arrivals negotiate their identities and roles within the institutional hierarchy but also serve to establish authority, create a sense of shared identity, and reinforce group belonging among the inmates. Ultimately, this paper highlights the complex interplay of culture, identity, and belonging in restrictive environments, contributing to discussions on their significance, particularly in JCFs.
Keywords: Borstal training institutions, identity reconstruction, Nigeria, rites of passage