Post: Public pushes for reforms in correctional services and offender management

Patrick Maina, a resident of Mukaro location in Nyeri Central Sub County wants those serving prison sentences allocated special private facilities where they can meet their spouses and even enjoy their conjugal rights.He argues such a provision will not only ensure such convicts enjoy the common privileges of life but play a big role in sustaining the bond of their families while they are in prison.Maina who was speaking in Nyeri on Monday during a one-day public consultation forum on the Development of Draft Legal and Policy Framework for Correctional Services opines that prisoners are entitled to certain fundamental privileges as long as such rights do not conflict with their rehabilitation process.'I submit that our brothers and sisters behind bars be allowed to take part in important family social gatherings such as funerals of close family members. It is painful for an inmate to come out of prison after many years only to be confronted by graves of his parents,' he said.'It would also be quite i n order if we designated special rooms within prison walls where inmates can once in a while have an opportunity to have intimate sessions with their spouses and thus help retain social ties within families,' he told the taskforce chaired by former Permanent Presidential Commission Director Wanjohi Kimako.Ann Wangechi Maina has called for provision of both technical and financial support to inmates who have completed their prison terms to help them be self-sufficient and further contribute to wealth creation in the country.She said it was irrational for the Government to spend millions of shillings in training inmates on technical skills only for such persons to come out of prison and relapse into crime due to lack of capital to start their own small enterprises.'We have a very elaborate training program at all our correctional facilities that equips inmates with skills that can transform their lives and those of others for the better. Unfortunately, much of what is learnt in these facilities often goes to waste since the trainees rarely put their expertise into practice owing to lack of startup capital and tools of trade. The government should therefore set aside a kitty that can act as startup capital for inmates to start their own trade once they pass out of prison gates,' recommended Ms. Maina.Robert Kariuki who is Mukaro location chief said there was need for synergy among all stakeholders in the criminal justice system to ensure the objectives of rehabilitating former inmates is achieved in toto.He lamented the lack of a well-coordinated mechanism in handling matters regarding suspects right from the time of their arrest to prosecution which he said could end up jeopardizing the rights of innocent persons.'There is a need for prison officers to be trained on best practices in handling convicted persons since such individuals still retain their human dignity. It is equally important for Probation officers to share the details of suspects with chiefs since their input forms part of such reports ins tead of the current arrangement where we are totally sidelined,' he pointed out.The administrator also called for more reforms in the correctional facilities to help those leaving Prison facilities be reintegrated quickly into the society unlike the current situation where such individuals are stigmatised by the community.Among items of reference for the Technical Committee on the Development of Legal and Policy Framework for Correctional Services is to conduct legal audit and provide advisory to the State on the legislative framework on correctional services in line with the Constitution of Kenya.The taskforce is also required to undertake stakeholder mapping and analysis in the criminal justice system and finally draft the National Correctional Services Policy and the Kenya Correctional Services Bill.The Committee was appointed through Gazette Notice no.5621 on 30th April 2024 by the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration Professor Kindiki Kithure.Source: Kenya News Agency