PRISON OVERCROWDING AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION IN NIGERIA CORRECTIONAL SERVICE MEDIUM SECURITY CUSTODIAL CENTER ABOLONGO, OYO, OYO STATE

Prison overcrowding remains a critical challenge to criminal justice administration in Nigeria, undermining the objectives of rehabilitation, reformation, and reintegration of offenders. This study examines the drivers, consequences, and policy implications of overcrowding in the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS) Medium Security Custodial Centre, Abolongo, Oyo State. The research employed a qualitative design, drawing on in-depth interviews with correctional officers, inmates, and judicial stakeholders, while being guided by Social Disorganization, Strain, and Systems theories. The findings reveal that prison overcrowding is primarily caused by inadequate infrastructure, the large population of awaiting trial inmates, weak application of alternative sentencing, and broader socioeconomic issues such as poverty and unemployment. These conditions undermine correctional administration by overstretching staff capacity, reducing access to healthcare and rehabilitation services, and contributing to violence, recidivism, and mental health challenges among inmates. Despite reforms, including the Nigerian Correctional Service Act of 2019, weak implementation and poor inter-agency collaboration limit impact. The study concludes that addressing overcrowding requires infrastructural investment, speedy judicial processes, effective use of non-custodial sentencing, and stronger justice sector coordination.