Why prisoners are reluctant to go home after serving jail term

Samson Murimi (left) and Richard Sibota at Kisii prison on February 10,2016 attaining skills in carpentry. They are worried on how they will integrate with the community after finishing their jail terms because of hostility. A number of inmates have been killed in Gusii region due to the crime they committed. (Photo: Denish Ochieng/ Standard)

Kisii and Nyamira counties have been profiled as high-risk areas for rejection of prisoners who have served their terms.

The areas continue to stigmatise former convicts even after they have gone through positive behaviour transition in correctional facilities.

Kisii Main Prison deputy officer in charge Benjamin Boit said the facility has a good number of prisoners who are hesitant to go home for fear of being lynched.

He said correctional facilities prepare people to return home and reintegrate with family and community in order to contribute positively to national development.

"We never release prisoners before carrying out a ground assessment. We have a strong welfare department that goes to the ground to talk to the family members and the community before releasing prisonersm, particularly those who have served long sentences in our faculties," Mr Boit said.

"There is a huge gap in socio-economic support for reformed and discharged prisoners for meaningful social reintegration into the community." The European Committee for Training and Agriculture has partnered with Faraja Foundation, KPS, Probation and Aftercare services, Fr Growl Welfare and Legal Reform Foundation in an awareness programme aimed at strengthening human rights within correctional facilities in Kenya.

In this programme, Faraja Foundation implements several activities, including case management and psycho-social support for prisoners and prison officers to bring about positive behaviour change.

The programme dubbed 'No crime, No fear, I am Reformed' also aims at strengthening human rights desks and establishing early warning and reporting mechanisms on violation of human rights in prisons.

The programme also looks at conducting awareness campaigns to urge communities to embrace the UN declaration of human rights and more so the UN Standard Minimum Rules (Mandela rules) on treatment of offenders within and without the prison walls.

Kisii has been on the spot for murders associated with individuals who just completed their jail terms.

Late last year, a middle-aged man was killed in Nyamataro, Kitutu Central a few days after being released from Kisii Main Prison. The assailants placed a photo he had taken while in prison besides his lifeless body.

Richard Sibota was charged with 10 counts of cattle rustling in 2013 and jailed for seven years. Since then he has never seen his parents. Mr Sibota is due to complete his term in May.

"It is unfortunate that I have never seen my parents. I fear going back home because I know the environment is still hostile. My prayer is that I get to reconcile with my parents and all those I offended," he said.

He was arrested in 2013 in Ramasha, Nyaribari Masaba for stealing six cattle but his five other accomplices escaped.

Sibota, who has completed a course in carpentry, having achieved grade three, says he now needs capital to start a business.

"I worship in the Seventh Day Adventist Church and I am the facility's church elder. I have reformed and wish to go back home and start a new life," he said.

Samson Murimi, 53, was charged with defilement in 2013, a few days after his houses were torched by angry villagers in Nyabohanse in kuria.

He said community policing members burnt down all his houses for allegedly being involved in several criminal activities in the area including robbery with violence.

"Going home would be the hardest thing in my life. Those who burnt my houses don't know that I am serving a jail term. There is no doubt I will be killed the moment I set foot in my rural home," Mr Murimi said.

"There is no other place I can go to after my sentence. I wish I could get time to talk to my community and make them understand that indeed I have reformed," added Murimi, who has since converted to Islam.

Chrisphen Simbiri, Head of Training and Counselling Faraja foundation, said they have organised training in Kisii to educate locals on prisoners' rights within and without the prison walls.

"We need to appreciate that the Kenya Prisons Service does a great job in reforming and rehabilitating the offenders and to understand that majority of those who have served their prison sentences have gone through positive behavior transition," said Simbiri.