PSYCHOSOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF CRIME ON PRISONERS IN ANYWAA ZONE PRISON CENTER, GAMBELLA PEOPLE NATIONAL REGIONAL STATE

Abstract

The main purpose of the study was to investigate the psychosocial consequences of crime on prisoners in Anywaa Zone Prison Center, Gambella People National Regional State. Descriptive survey design was used to conduct the study. The major sources of data were primary and secondary. Primary data was collected from 169 prisoners out of 280 total populations. Systematic random sampling and availability sampling techniques were also used. Recorded files of young prisoners in the office were used as secondary sources. Instruments used for gathering data were open and closed ended questionnaires, semi structured interview and document review. Information obtained from closed-ended questionnaires was analyzed quantitatively using SPSS version 20 and logistic regression, descriptive statistic such as mean and standard deviation and one way ANOVA. The results obtained from interview, documents and open-ended questionnaires were narrated and triangulated with result obtained from closed-ended questionnaires. The major findings of the study showed that murder, property robbery and organized crime were identified as types of crime. Regarding the causes of crime, it was found that drugs, low income, peer pressure and unemployment were the major causes of crime. Finding of this study also showed that feeling of anxiety, worry, suffer from nightmares, loss of their memory because of crime, withdrawals, and sleep problems, hopelessness, depression, being angry and isolation from others people as psychosocial consequences of crime on prisoners. Finally, job opportunities must be created and minimizing the amount of drugs coming in Anywaa Zone in order to alleviate this issue