Chief Justice Martha Koome
By MKT Reporter
The judiciary is implementing long-term measures to prevent unnecessary detention of unconvicted persons and decongestion of correctional facilities.
Chief Justice Martha Koome is leading critical reforms in the criminal justice system to stem overcrowding in Kenya’s prisons, focusing on fostering proper rehabilitation of offenders.
The Judiciary will promote the use of Community Service Orders by reviewing sentences and releasing convicts to perform community service instead of serving time in custody.
The process for posting bail, bonds, and sureties will be streamlined to make it more efficient and expeditious, transforming the correctional system into one that reflects the highest standards of justice and human dignity.
The second phase of the initiative will involve continuous review of sentences by Judges of the High Court until a sustainable prison population is achieved.
The current state of Kenya’s prisons is untenable, with 9,458 inmates in the Nairobi region alone, with 2,496 convicts, and 4,962 unconvicted persons awaiting trial.
The Rapid Results Initiative aims to achieve a sustainable prison population that aligns with the established capacity of correctional facilities.
The first phase of the decongestion initiative focuses on reviewing bail and bond terms for unconvicted persons currently in remand within the Nairobi region.
The Judiciary is also emphasising restorative justice to foster social harmony within the community and facilitate the reintegration of released individuals into society.
The Judiciary will also provide rehabilitative avenues for children who find themselves in conflict with the law from the formal criminal justice system, allowing them to grow into law-abiding citizens.
The CJ said petty offenders should not be subjected to incarceration but should instead be diverted to community service or alternative sentencing options that enable them to contribute positively to society.
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