‘A bed for every inmate’ campaign has been unveiled as the Department of Correctional Services intensified efforts to restore the dignity of those in Kenyan jails.

This campaign aims to have the roughly 60,000 inmates in the country have a bed to lay their head, even as they serve their jail terms, some for lifetime.

This comes barely two weeks after the Correctional Services PS, Salome Beacco, kicked off a drive to register inmates into the Social Health Authority (SHA) scheme, emphasising that human dignity must never be compromised.

“That every person, including those in custody, is entitled to healthcare, to compassion, and to the opportunity for rehabilitation and reintegration,” she said at the Lang’ata Women’s Prison, where she indicated that 8,000 inmates had been registered into the scheme.

Life after incarceration 

Yesterday at the Nairobi West Prison, Beacco continued with the campaign of making prisons places where inmates are not only detained, but facilities where they must heal, be educated and prepare people for life after incarceration.

And for the assertion that correctional facilities must safeguard the physical and mental health of inmates, uphold human rights and spur rehabilitation, the PS said the latest campaign will ensure those behind bars sleep in safety, with privacy and with a sense of dignity.

“The beds are symbols of humanity. They say: You are still human. You are still seen. You are still valued,” she said, noting that the country’s prisons are overcrowded, a reality given a blind eye, and which must not be normalised.

“Overcrowding strains rehabilitation, compromises hygiene, and erodes the very foundation of human dignity,” said Beacco, pointing out that the answer does not always lie in building new walls.

She said, sometimes, the answer lies in rethinking how to use the space that’s already available.

“And so today, we launch the Triple-Decker Bed Campaign, definitely not as a temporary patch, but as a bold and practical solution, one that speaks to a deeper moral conviction,” the PS emphasised.

Optimising space

The iconic campaign dubbed ‘A bed for every inmate, no one left behind’ is about optimising space, reaffirming dignity and enhancing overall health.

“And it is in this spirit that we recall the words of Pope St. Paul VI: “If you want peace, work for justice, “ the PS rekindled the wise saying, adding; “And what is justice, if not ensuring that even those behind bars are treated not as problems to be managed, but as people to be restored?”

The Triple-Decker Bed Campaign Beacco noted reflects on the department’s deep commitment to the Nelson Mandela Rules as enshrined in the United Nations’ Standard Minimum Rules for the treatment of offenders.  Generally, the Rules talk about all prisoners being treated with respect due to their inherent dignity and value as human beings.

However, more than compliance, the PS said the rules reflect conscience, where the country should choose a path that prioritises humanity. That recognises that confinement must never translate into indignity. “At policy level, the implementation plan will remain methodical and inclusive: first, we will identify the most overcrowded correctional facilities, then, we shall procure beds that are safe, fit, and inmate-friendly for male prisons.”

Thereafter, installation will be done without compromising structural integrity or ventilation, whereas, for sustainability, capacity building for both staff and inmates on safe use and maintenance will be conducted.

The PS also had time to counsel the officers that their role in the criminal justice system, given the ever-evolving landscape of correctional management and the increase in sophisticated crime, cannot be overstated. “This campaign, therefore, will ease your work environment, reduce conflict, and promote order,” she said.

And to the inmates, the PS said, invoking St Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s famous saying that not everyone can do great things, but only small things with great love.

“This is for you. It is a sign that even in custody, your dignity matters. You are not defined by your past, but by your potential.”

She said that as the campaign kicks off at the Nairobi West Prison, it should ramble across the country until it reaches every overcrowded ward, as a reminder that no one will be left on the floor, and no one forgotten.