An Analysis of the challenges facing Kenyan prisoners during their rehabilitation
Date
2017-01
Authors
Mutemi, Peter Mutui
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Strathmore University
Abstract
The purpose of carrying out this study was to analyse if the Kenya Prison service can
effectively fulfil their mandate of rehabilitating offenders while facing challenges of
inadequate resources and unprofessional personnel. The specific aim of the study was to
assess these challenges and discuss how they affect the personal lives of inmates. The goals
of the study were to also develop recommendations based on the research findings. The scope
of this research is limited to the challenges facing African and Kenyan prisons. The primary
subjects of this study are prisoners. This research therefore encompasses a phenomenal study
that aspires to identify what leads to occurrence of a certain phenomenon in this case being
the creation of inmates sub-culture from the prisoner’s perspective, reactions and perceptions.
The theory of Prisonization guided in answering the research problems. The research design
is purely qualitative and will seek to understand the research problems from the perspective
of inmates. This design is advantageous because of its ability to provide textual descriptions
of how prisoners experience the research issues. Due to the closed and secure nature of
Kenyan prisons, the data for this study was collected on a desk review basis from previously
published reports, journals, books and internet resources. The study hypothesis was that the
challenges facing the Kenya prisons service impede its mandate of rehabilitating convicted
criminals and ultimately affects the personal lives of prisoners. The collected data supports
the view that the challenges faced by the Kenya prisons service of inadequate resources and
incapable personnel limit its operations and corrode its rehabilitation programmes. Inmates
who are introduced to the criminal justice system are not availed with the necessary
interventions they require hence upon release they remain un-rehabilitated. These unrehabilitated
ex-offenders do not acquire necessary skills of social reintegration to help them
reunite with society as law abiding citizens hence they remain criminal minded; a factor
which causes them to reoffend and return to prison making the Kenya prison service fail in its
mandate. The results of the study also reveal that the challenges cause inmates to form
societies of social interaction which repudiate interactions between prison management and
inmates hence making it difficult for inmates to participate fully in rehabilitation
programmes. The study recommends there should be increased support for the Kenya prisons
service; courts should also make use of alternative sentencing options and the government of
Kenya should invite civil society and the community to participate in reintegration
programmes.
Description
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Bachelor of Laws Degree, Strathmore University Law School
Keywords
Kenyan prisoners, rehabilitation, justice, convicted criminals, inmates