By S. Koko
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithika Kindiki has said that the Government is working towards upgrading and improving the living standards of correctional services through a raft of reforms aimed at improving the living conditions of inmates.
CS Kindiki made the announcement when he visited Mwea prison in Kirinyaga county on Monday to check the status of the correctional facility. He further stated that the Government will provide equipment worth Ksh.1 billion in the next few months to help prison industries
to mechanise all prison farms countywide that have arable land and equip them with new equipment to modernize their operations and increase their productivity to assist in the country's food security plans. Prison departments boasts of 86 prison farms with a total of over 18,200 acres of land.
The reforms include decongestion in order to safeguard the living conditions of the stations and educational and technical training.
Kindiki said there will be a review of archaic laws as well as mechanisation of prison farms and workshops. "I'm satisfied with the rehabilitation programs provided for the inmates which will be critical in their re - integration to become useful and productive members of the society but the state of equipment in the workshops are in very bad shape," he noted adding that the government is committed in ensuring their improved capacity to equip inmates with life skills. The CS also revealed that the task force on prison reforms in the National Police service is concluding its work and will soon submit its recommendations to President Ruto
. "The reforms will ensure we improve the living conditions of our inmates. We must do our best to decongest the prisons by 50%. We will engage the judiciary and other stakeholders in the justice sector to facilitate this so that we can have less offenders serving jail time." The Government had earlier this year released 7, 281 offenders in the same bid.
The CS was accompanied by the department's PS Ms Mary Muthoni who has been on the forefront in the implementation of the "One prisoner, one blanket, one bed initiative drive."
PS Muthoni has stated that the Government aims to improve the welfare of prisoners, remandees and prison officers within five years.
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