STATE DEPARTMENT FOR CORRECTIONAL SERVICES ADOPTING BEST OFFENDER REHABILITATION INTERVENTIONS FOR BETTER OUTCOMES

By Nicholas Kigondu

Kenya is leveraging best practices in offender rehabilitation with a focus on evidence-based approaches aimed at reducing recidivism.

Speaking during a meeting with officials from the European Union, United Nations Development Programme and representatives from civil society organizations, Correctional Services Principal Secretary Dr. Salome Beacco said the obtaining situation is part of ongoing reforms aimed at transforming the country’s correctional facilities into centers of excellence.

According to the PS, the State Department is analyzing various concepts and models with a focus on targeted interventions for better outcomes.

Among the models include the Association for the Protection and Assistance of Convicted Persons, a restorative, faith-based prison system in Brazil, focused on rehabilitating inmates through love, humanity, and community involvement.

The department is already implementing the Programme for Legal Empowerment and Aid Delivery (PLEAD), a partnership between the Government of Kenya, the European Union (EU), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and civil society organizations aimed at strengthening the administration of justice, expanding access to justice for vulnerable populations and promoting alternatives to imprisonment.