Reforms see decongestion of prisons by 5,000
By Mathew Ndungu, December 18, 2024
Reforms in the criminal justice system has decongested prisons, State Department for Correctional Services Principal Secretary Salome Beacco has said.
Beacco noted that the collaboration of the Judiciary, prisons probation and aftercare service has seen reduction of overcrowding in prisons by between 4,000 and 5,000 offenders.
The government has undertaken steps to decongest prisons through a number of initiatives among them clemency, bail and bond policy guidelines and review of sentences and release of convicts to perform community service.
Beacco yesterday told journalists that further collaboration between the national and county governments have seen persons released on community service orders participate in nation-building by serving in schools and the community.
Rehabilitate prisoners
She revealed that her department will continue to undertake initiatives to rehabilitate and reintegrate prisoners with the community through training, counselling and giving them key opportunities.
“By now, our prisons have been decongested by between 4,000 to 5,000 offenders through initiatives that continue to be implemented. We are also collaborating with the local government to ensure that those released on community service orders serve in our schools,” said Beacco.
Speaking during an early Christmas celebration event at Ruiru Prisons, the PS called Kenyans to consider touring and donating items such as food and books in the 137 prisons across the country as a way of showing love to prisoners.
“We are urging Kenyans to exercise humanity and show love to prisoners by visiting them during the festive season. Many of the offenders want to go back to school and they require books to facilitate them to go back to school. Let us show them love during this season by visiting and donating various items to them,” appealed the PS.
During the event, the PS donated food items, mattresses among other items which she said will go a long way in enabling the prisoners to enjoy the season of merry thereby making them feel being part of the society.