The Government in collaboration with the Judiciary has launched a programme geared towards the development of a community service sentence alternative for offenders convicted of petty crimes.
Community Service Orders which are granted by the Judiciary comprise unpaid public work within a community, for a period not exceeding the term of imprisonment for which the court would have sentenced the offender.
According to the government, the programme will facilitate the release of prisoners in Kenyan prisons in a move to decongest the prisons.
On March 27, a pioneer group of 40 prisoners at Tambach GK Prison Elgeyo Marakwet County were released.
The programme is set to continue with other counties to follow suit in crafting similar programmes.
However, under the programme, only low-risk offenders can be released from prisons with the law providing that those eligible are those whose offences can be served in three years or less.
“Imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, with or without the option of a fine; or imprisonment for a term exceeding three years but for which the court determines a term of imprisonment for three years or less, with or without the option of a fine, to be appropriate,” explains the law.
While presiding over the release event in Tambach, Elgeyo Marakwet Governor, Rotich stated that other county governments should follow suit
“The successful launch of this initiative sets a precedent for similar programs to be implemented nationwide, signalling a paradigm shift in how society addresses issues of justice, rehabilitation, and community engagement, explained Governor Rotich.
Additionally, the county embarked on a project that aims to impart skills to the released prisoners that would help them cope beyond their release.
In more prison reforms, the Interior Ministry through Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, on February 28, allowed prisoners to enjoy visits previously withdrawn during the Covid-19 period.
He explained that the visits would reintegrate normalcy into the prisoners’ lives alongside launching the Prisoners’s Enterprise Fund to help prisoners set themselves up when they leave prison.
