The government has freed more than 23,000 petty offenders held in different correctional facilities to decongest prisons to ensure inmates and prison staff live in a conducive environment.
State Department for Correctional Services Principal Secretary(PS) Salome Muhia said that the government plans to review the sentences of an additional 5,000 inmates to attain its target of releasing over 35,000 prisoners by the end of 2023.
Speaking at Kodiaga Maximum Prison in Kisumu County, she said some 7,281 petty offenders had been released by March this year.
The PS vowed to work closely with the Judiciary and other stakeholders in the criminal justice system to exploit the community service orders, probation and other non-custodial options to decongest prison facilities countrywide.
“I’m urging all other development partners to come on board to support the prisons decongestion program to ensure that prisoners live a dignified life in line with articles 28 and 43 of the constitution which demands that every person should live in dignity,” she said.
Further, she said the government would also tap on the available 135 probation and Aftercare stations nationwide to push the judiciary to put offenders with petty offences under community service.
The problem of overcrowding with some penal institutions holding double the expected capacity has been regarded as a contributing factor to poor prison conditions in the country.
The challenge has posed a management crisis making it difficult to sustain the inmates with basic needs like food, medical care and sanitation facilities.
