The government is continuing with reforms aimed at improving conditions in prisons and strengthening rehabilitation programmes to support the successful reintegration of inmates into society, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has said.
Kindiki said the reforms are intended to transform prisons and other correctional facilities into institutions that not only hold offenders but also equip them with skills and opportunities to rebuild their lives after serving their sentences.
In remarks delivered on his behalf by Chief of Staff in the Office of the Deputy President Christopher Wanjau during the handover of items to Nairobi West Prison on Tuesday, Kindiki said the government has committed resources towards upgrading correctional facilities and supporting rehabilitation initiatives.
“The journey of reforming our prisons and other correctional facilities is on course to enable them to comprehensively and meaningfully rehabilitate citizens who in one way or the other have been in conflict with the law and serving time in the institutions,” Kindiki said.
He said the State has invested financial, human and material resources to support coordinated rehabilitation programmes within correctional institutions across the country.
“The government has invested a substantial amount of resources; financial, human and material, to facilitate coordinated, sustainable and comprehensive rehabilitation of all inmates in the correctional facilities,” he said.
Kindiki said the programmes are aimed at equipping inmates with knowledge, skills and expertise that can help transform their lives and support their return to society.
“This includes equipping them with necessary and relevant knowledge and expertise that will help transform them and make their reintegration back to the society successful and beneficial,” he added.
The Deputy President also called on members of the public to support efforts to reintegrate former inmates into society, saying successful rehabilitation requires acceptance and support from communities.
He said former inmates should be given opportunities to utilise the skills and training acquired while in correctional facilities and contribute positively to national development.
“This is possible when we give them opportunities to earn an honest living from the skills, training and mentorship received through the Prisons Reforms Programme,” Kindiki said.
Correctional Services Principal Secretary Salome Beacco welcomed the support, saying the items donated to Nairobi West Prison would help improve living conditions for inmates.
She said improving welfare within correctional facilities remains an important part of the government's prison transformation agenda.
“This thoughtful gesture reflects the Government's unwavering commitment to improving the welfare of persons in custody and strengthening the correctional system as an integral component of the administration of justice,” Beacco said.
According to the PS, the State Department for Correctional Services has adopted what she described as a whole-of-government approach in implementing reforms within prisons and correctional facilities.
She said the objective is to progressively transform prisons into institutions that prioritise rehabilitation and reformation alongside custodial functions.
“Decent living conditions are fundamental to creating an environment where correctional programmes can thrive and where offenders are empowered to reform, acquire skills, and successfully reintegrate into society upon release,” Beacco said.
