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This book presents a rare ethnographic account of young people’s experiences within Ghana’s custodial and correctional institutions. From an actor-oriented perspective and grounded in fieldwork and interviews, it uncovers how juvenile and young offenders navigate and resist the corrective intentions of these centres. While such institutions formally promote rehabilitation through structured programmes, the book highlights a disconnect between these aims and confinement realities. It calls for a rethinking of both theory and practice to better reflect the lived experiences of incarcerated youth.
Essential for scholars of juvenile justice, criminology, and confinement ethnography, particularly in African and Global South contexts.
'This book delves deeply into the contrasting views and outlook between professionals like clinical psychologists, social welfare officers, the police, prison officers on the one hand and juvenile and young offenders on the other hand about the role of human rights and how it affects the lives of the youngsters in detention facilities. The youth see themselves as victims of the criminal justice system and are of the opinion that that they should not be in the detention centers in the first place. The book seeks to draw attention to the urgent need to pay attention to the plight of youngsters in an era of threats of rising radicalism, terrorism and violence in the Sahel and the West Africa region. Based on empirical evidence obtained during her research, the author finds that the youngsters may not be fully equipped for the labour market when discharged from committal and are likely to be susceptible to various forms of abuse, recidivism, radicalization etc. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in this aspect of the criminal justice system.' Justice Emile Short, Ghana’s First Commissioner on Human Rights and Administrative Justice
'Dr Ayete-Nyampong’s original and important work focuses on children in correctional centres often forgotten in the criminal justice system. Offering unique insights into these centres in Ghana, it crucially hears the voices of the children themselves and what they experience on a daily basis. An innovative and invaluable book, it should be essential reading for anyone interested in children’s rights, juvenile justice and correctional centres.' Rachel Murray, University of Bristol Law School
'Diving into the captivating world of Ghana's children in conflict with the law, Lilian Ayete-Nyampong's narrates rare perspectives that bridge practitioner and ethnographic researcher roles. The book unveils the intricacies of life within Ghana's confinement institutions through a meticulous exploration of methodological challenges, narrative richness, and intimate portrayals of the children's custodial lives. An invaluable addition to confinement ethnographies from the Global South.' Mahuya Bandyopadhyay, Indian Institute of Technology
1. A Decade of Research: Framing the Enquiry
2. Confinement Ethnography: Methodological and Ethical Reflections
3. Who We Are, Where We Are From: Does It Matter to You?
4. Views From Literature on Children’s Growing-Up Experiences
5. Everyday Correctional Practice: Mortification Processes and Non-Compliance
6. We Have Carved Our Own Space: The Social Underlife
7. The Everyday Relational Dynamics That Surround Escapes
8. Appropriation of Educational and Religious Goals in Correctional Centres
9. Follow-Up Visits and Concluding Reflections