- The prisons will release 4,620 petty offenders beginning next month to decongest the the current population of 53,438 prisoners.
- Justice Cecilia Githua said since January, 3,000 inmates have been released from prisons to serve in community service.
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About 5,000 petty offenders will be released from prison in the coming months.
The programme involving the Judiciary and prisons services aims to decongest prisons.
Interior CS Fred Matiang’i on Thursday said the planned release will begin next month.
He said it will run in tandem with the expansion of probation and after-service programme targeting the reintegration of the inmates.
The CS spoke during the launch of a training programme for newly recruited probation officers at the Kenya School of Government, Nairobi.
He said prisons are struggling with congestion that has been exacerbated by too many petty offenders.
“We don’t have the resources to keep the number of offenders that we have. Some we are keeping because of Sh600 fines for traffic offence! We are keeping some matatu violators who packed on a yellow line. Are we serious?” Matiang’i said.
The CS said he hopes the offenders can be moved into the probation service programme in the next phase of the decongestion campaign, between May and June.
Justice Cecilia Githua said since January, 3,000 inmates have been released from prisons to serve in community service.
The High Court judge chairs the Community Service Order National Committee that coordinates the probation services.
She said the prisons will release another 4,620 petty offenders beginning next month to decongest the the current population of 53,438 prisoners.
Of the number, 30,689 are convicts while 22,799 are inmates.
Matiang’i said the government will also mobilise chiefs, assistant county commissioners and the National Government Administration structure, to work closely with probation officers in the prisoners’ integration programme.
The state will also reach out to religious leaders and relevant faith-based institutions to complement prisoners’ integration efforts and to tap into their network of after-service programmes.
Matiang’i however raised concerns with the high levels of recidivism and said probation officers should monitor offenders closely to ensure they don’t relapse.
“Second, third and fourth time offenders are evidence that our after-care work is not very successful," he said.
The CS said the character of success will be demonstrated by a reduction of repeat offenders, how active the after-care members become and how well they become integrated.
More than 1,000 probation officers are to be hired and trained in a programme jointly funded by the government, the European Union and the United Nations Office in Nairobi.
Already 600 officers have been recruited with a half already trained. They will join the 860 officers already in the service.
Under the Community Service Orders Act, petty offenders and those with three or less years remaining in their sentences can be committed to community service.
This may include providing labour in construction, maintenance of roads, environmental conservation activities and maintenance work in public schools and hospitals.
The offer for release to community service however does not apply to prisoners serving capital offences, sexual, economic or drug-related crimes.
Currently, the prisons are holding 6,073 petty offenders while 955 others have less than three years remaining to serve.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)