Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences (PJSS) Vol. 31, No. 1 (June 2011), pp. 105-114 The Plight of Women Inmates in Rivers State, Nigeria Daisy Inyingi Dimkpa Department of Educational Foundations, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria E-mail: daisdimkpadr@yahoo.com Abstract This study investigated the main challenges experienced by women inmates in Rivers State of Nigeria. A sample of 51 women inmates randomly selected from three prison locations in Port Harcourt, Degema and Ahoada areas participated in the study. The sample consisted of pregnant, non-pregnant and nursing inmates. The study sought to ascertain the problems of the inmates on the basis of age ( length of time spent in prison) and status (pregnant/non- pregnant/nursing). A researcher-designed instrument titled ‘Women Inmates’ Prison Questionnaire’ (WIPQ) was used to generate data for the study. The responses were analyzed using mean scores, standard deviation, t-test and ANOVA statistics. Results showed that the women inmates’ main challenges were in the area of physical care, emotional/health, vocational and lastly social. It further indicated that old and young inmates were significantly different in their perceptions of the problems they encountered (p>0.05). Furthermore, they were not significantly different in their perceptions on the basis of status (pregnant/non-pregnant/nursing, p<0.05). Based on the findings, some recommendations made amongst others, were that government should assist women inmates in order to alleviate their problems by establishing prison counseling centers with trained counselors to provide services, provision of good clothes, health services, good accommodation and increasing prison budgetary allocation; as well as the role of NGOs in providing clothes, food, training in vocations, etc. Keywords: Women inmates; Pregnant; Non-pregnant; Nursing problems; Counseling I. Introduction The plight of prisoners all over the world has been a subject for discourse due to the inhuman treatment meted out to them, ranging from poor conditions of the cells to gross abuses especially in developing countries. Imprisonment is socially degrading and signifies total separation from family members and loved ones; and prisoners are said to go through ‘one of the worst periods of neglect in Nigeria’s nationhood’ (Durosaro, 2002).. This is because the prison is seen as an enclosed environment operating outside normal controls and processes (Owers, 2003). It is believed that society is less interested in what happens behind their walls, probably due to the way prisoners are perceived. Prisoners and their officials are also noted to receive less attention in comparison with schools and hospitals (Odebode, 2008). Although some of the women detained for various offences were pregnant before their incarceration, many are victims of sexual abuse by male counterparts and warders, resulting into pregnancy (Durosaro, 2002). Some women inmates have stayed long in prison awaiting trial and even delivered babies