In a meeting between Chief Justice Martha Koome and State Department for Correctional Services Principal Secretary Dr. Salome Beacco, the two agreed to focus on restorative justice, sentence review, non-custodial sentencing and joint training besides synchronizing the court calendar to take care of Community Service Orders.
While appreciating the impact of the decongestion programme and 2024 case outcomes, the Chief Justice said Community Service Orders will not only help in ongoing decongestion efforts but also instill a sense of responsibility among offenders while contributing positively to the community.
She said the judiciary will endeavor to develop practice directions to guide in the review of cases for those meant to benefit under the CSO programme.
According to the PS, case backlog has contributed, to a great extent, to the current overcrowding within prisons that has seen population within the facilities surge to an average of 61,000 inmates against a capacity of 34,000.
She said her office is working closely with other actors including county governments to realize envisaged reforms within the country’s correctional services.
Among those present at the meeting included Community Service Orders chairperson Lady Justice Margaret Muigai, Commissioner General of Prisons Patrick Aranduh and Probation and Aftercare Service Secretary Dr. Chritine Obondi. The Power of Mercy Advisory Committee(POMAC) on its part has continued to Collaborate and Support Efforts to Decongest Prisons by Pardoning Reformed Offenders to enable them go back to the community & engage in Gainful Employment. In July 2023 the below citied categories were Pardoned & Released from Prison
1.General amnesty 5,061 Prisoners categorized as follows
a.sentenced to 6 months and below -2,944
long term offenders with b.sentence balance of 6 months & below – 2,117
2.Long termers – 37
3.Commutation of death sentence to life – 662
Mechanisms have put in place to progressively continue the decongestion through such Pardons & Releases. Thank you