Breaking Cycle of Recidivism
Breaking Cycle of Recidivism
Recidivism means reoffending. Recidivism is one of the most fundamental concepts in criminal justice, or a core criminal justice concern. It refers to a person’s relapse into criminal behavior, often after the person receives sanctions or undergoes intervention for a previous crime. Many a time, when inmates are released into the society without proper capacity building, emotional and psycho-social readiness, they end up reoffending and get caught in an endless rat-race where they become re-incarcerated for their repeat offences (or simply, for being repeat offenders).
Recidivism can only be averted by supporting rehabilitative programs and preparing the incarcerated for social reintegration upon release. Public attitude and opinion helps to shape policy framework and also play an important role in whether or not a person returns to crime. Therefore, decreasing recidivism involves in part, preparing the society/community to which the individual is reentering, including potential employers, to receive former prisoners/offenders. There is also need to reduce the severe stigma typically associated with offending and former offenders who (mostly) desperately need a second chance at life. This may include cultivating or fostering an environment of political goodwill, awareness-raising, engaging in multiagency collaboration, and incentivizing success stories or successful outcomes.
CELSIR endeavors to ensure that former offenders are not accorded limited support and resources necessary for their recovery, and welfare crucial for their reentry into society. To this end, we are committed to be the promoter for breaking the recidivism cycle. This is in line with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (The Nelson Mandela Rules), Rule 91 as read with Rule 4 paragraphs 1 and 2, which advocates for capacity building of prison inmates to ensure, as much as possible, the reintegration of former offenders into the society by exposing them to activities, services and programs that inspire their self-respect and develops their sense of responsibility, thereby ensuring that they can lead law-abiding and self-supporting lives, post incarceration.
Pre-release support program
Preparation by prisoners for impending release is crucially important if recidivism has to be curbed. CELSIR is committed to provide support programs for prisoners whose release is imminent.
This program is mostly centered on the prisoner whose release is approaching. Preparation by prisoners for impending release is crucially important if recidivism has to be curbed. CELSIR is committed to provide pre-release support for prisoners whose release is imminent. This can be achieved through providing services, programs and activities such as counseling sessions, provision of information on how to cope outside prison, encourage planning and mental readiness for life outside prison, fostering/encouraging friendly acceptance into the society (including by potential employers) they are reentering, linkages to peers for camaraderie, etc.
Social Re-integration Support
CELSIR is committed to ensure that there is a reduction in the instances of recidivating (relapsing into crime) and an increase in the chances for desistance (a permanent state of law abiding/non-offending). In order to do this, we have in place mechanisms to ensure that we keep track of and check up on ex-prisoners to ensure that they are properly reintegrated and are coping well with life outside prison/post incarceration.
The transition period from incarceration to freedom, and the period immediately following release are critical and difficult for inmates. Upon being released, the prospects for ex-offenders are grim. Rebuilding an empowering and crime-free life is not easy for ex-offenders. The public’s stigma and general outlook of the society toward ex-offenders is often negative and damaging, leaving the ex-offender with slim chances to none at leading a meaningful and self-respecting life.
Social Re-integration Support
CELSIR is committed to ensure that there is a reduction in the instances of recidivating (relapsing into crime) and an increase in the chances for desistance (a permanent state of law abiding/non-offending). In order to do this, we have in place mechanisms to ensure that we keep track of and check up on ex-prisoners to ensure that they are properly reintegrated and are coping well with life outside prison/post incarceration.
The transition period from incarceration to freedom, and the period immediately following release are critical and difficult for inmates. Upon being released, the prospects for ex-offenders are grim. Rebuilding an empowering and crime-free life is not easy for ex-offenders. The public’s stigma and general outlook of the society toward ex-offenders is often negative and damaging, leaving the ex-offender with slim chances to none at leading a meaningful and self-respecting life. The requirement to check the box on employment applications, etc. stating that a person has been charged with a felony, often leads a person to be denied chances to work, travel or generally contribute to society. An ex-offender may be shunned by his family and friends and may even be denied the custody of his/her children. Some ex-offenders may be returning to a traumatic environment that is violent and unstable. All these issues when compounded can lead to a person reoffending/recidivating. Also, an ex-offender becomes more predisposed to mental health issues and heightened risk for substance abuse. Odds are not in their favour.
Social reintegration support is therefore an integral aspect of criminal justice movement and must therefore not end at the prison gate, upon the release of the prisoner, but should instead continue post incarceration. The aim of this program is to reduce instances of recidivating (relapsing into crime) and increase the chances for desistance (a permanent state of law abiding/non-offending). CELSIR has in place mechanisms to ensure that we keep track of and check up on ex-prisoners to ensure that they are properly reintegrated and are coping well with life outside prison/post incarceration. This may include assisting the released prisoner to arrive to his home county. It will also involve keeping a record of the (physical) addresses and contacts of the prisoners and their loved ones, conducting scheduled physical visits/checkups, facilitating career development, connect the ex-prisoner with social support groups, provide mentorship, etc. We also hope to in future provide an opportunity for halfway homes, where they can periodically board as they find meaningful direction in their lives.
Civic Education
Public opinion has a major influence on how policymakers respond to crime. Whereas the public demand for harsher punishments is often used to justify punitive criminal justice policies, proactive information-sharing and awareness-raising can result in a more balanced understanding of the predicament of prisoners and ex-prisoners. Solid research, data and close collaboration with the media and communities are integral to fostering public support and political goodwill for penal reform.
Civic education will provide a sympathetic/empathetic outlook by the society that although incarcerated, prisoners remain a part of society. They are human beings with flesh and blood and everyday struggles that face an average person. Accordingly, CELSIR plays an important role in supporting the rehabilitation of offenders resulting in social reintegration.
Civic Education
Public opinion has a major influence on how policymakers respond to crime. Whereas the public demand for harsher punishments is often used to justify punitive criminal justice policies, proactive information-sharing and awareness-raising can result in a more balanced understanding of the predicament of prisoners and ex-prisoners. Solid research, data and close collaboration with the media and communities are integral to fostering public support and political goodwill for penal reform.
Civic education will provide a sympathetic/empathetic outlook by the society that although incarcerated, prisoners remain a part of society. They are human beings with flesh and blood and everyday struggles that face an average person. Accordingly, CELSIR plays an important role in supporting the rehabilitation of offenders resulting in social reintegration. CELSIR is also invested in bridging the gap between the offender/ex-offender, on the one part, and the society at large, on the second part. This can be done through cultivating or fostering an environment of political goodwill, awareness-raising, engaging in multiagency collaboration, and publicizing success stories or successful outcomes of ex-prisoners who positively turned their lives around, post incarceration.
Ongoing and targeted projects
- Installation Law classes in Eldoret Main Prisons
- Petition to the Advisory Committee on the Power of Mercy
- Donate a book campaign
- Pre and post release counseling sessions
- Offender Mentor Certification Program
- Step down program
- Adult education courses such as language courses
- Religious services
- Mental and physical health programs
- Job skills workshops
- Employment preparation
- Peer mentorship (long-term)
- Anger management counseling
1) Paralegals Clinic Program
This is a proposal to collaborate with Moi University, School of Law (Annex Campus) to install a paralegals clinic to aid in conducting CELSIR’s legal work. The program will target at least 10 law students of Moi University who have a particular fondness to criminal law, can multitask, have keen attention to detail, have basic organizational skills, and are willing to learn.
Fellows who undertake the program will work closely under the supervision of our Legal Support Affairs Coordinator (LeSAC), Mr. Oduor Oscar. The Paralegal program will hone in the fellows, skills relating to case planning, development, and management; legal research skills; interviewing skills; gathering facts and retrieving information skills; drafting and analyzing legal documents; and collecting, compiling and utilizing technical information to formulate legal opinions for scrutiny by their supervising advocate (in relation to work assigned to them).
The paralegal program will benefit the paralegal fellows who will gain valuable skills, competencies and qualities while working in a support role. This will in turn profit the young professionals to succeed as practicing advocates in the future leading to a transformation/reformation of the criminal justice system.
2) Installation Law classes in Eldoret Main Prisons
In our line of service, we have encountered instances where prisoners self-represent their matters in court with or without the assistance of paralegal staff attached to various prison premises.
CELSIR is in the process of installing a ten hour paralegal class at Eldoret Main Prison to be dubbed ‘The Eldoret Main Prison Legal Support Program’ to run for one (1) week. The training program will target about 30 mid and long serving prisoners/inmates and 10 prison warders. We hope that the inmates selected for the paralegal class are students who have obtained training beyond post-secondary education.
The training will focus on criminal law. Our curricula will feature topics relating to confession issues, mitigation, trial skills, jurisprudence on the death penalty, clemency, wrongful convictions, defences in criminal law, etc.
The proposed classes will have ripple effects beyond individual cases to include general communal and societal benefits such as speedy processing of cases; fair and impartial trials; and the decongestion of prison populations while ensuring an effective criminal justice system hinged on ideals of human rights and dignity. The program will also ensure that through our valuable work, prisoner’s petitions, motions and other court documents are enriched, and yield better outcome.
4) Installation of a Library at the Eldoret Main Prison
CELSIR made a prison visit to the Eldoret Main Prison on 14th October, 2022, to commemorate the World’s day against the Death Penalty where we particularly focused on inmates on death row. At the said visit, we learnt that the prison does not have a library. This project was therefore motivated and/or conceptualized by this finding. As a result, we formulated a donation of books campaign targeting well-wishers and people of good will requesting them to donate new or used books to benefit the said prison. The donations will include books ranging from Early Childhood Education to Higher Education including other reading materials such as story books, journals, etc. to be dropped off at Oduor Munyua & Gerald Attorneys at Law LLP, Meadows Building, Elgeyo Road, 3rd Flr, Rm 306, Eldoret Contact: 0728120685/0720579513.
CELSIR will collate and deliver the books to the prison for use by the inmates and the prison will set up a room and install some shelves for purposes of setting up a library. CELSIR will also ensure that the books are properly catalogued and inventoried.
The following are benefits to be derived from this literacy program:
Reduction of idleness
This literacy program will reduce idleness for inmates who have all the time in the world but very little impactful things to do with it. The library will therefore be a productive place for the prisoners to spend their time. Reduction of idleness will reduce engagement in bad behavior, peer pressure to crime, and violence.
Complementary to education programs offered in prison
The right to education is a great tool in rehabilitating prisoners. This prison library will therefore provide access to literature, educational programs, and computer training necessary to meet this objective. Moreover, since inmates can complete their primary and secondary education, and acquire a trade or technical skill while incarcerated; the prison library will come in handy since they have a place to study and keep their minds fit for the exams. The library will also provide an enlarged scope for understanding what they learn which is key for acquiring good grades in their examinations. It will also improve their reading and writing skills.
Boost legal awareness
Most illiterate prisoners do not know the effects of crime, drugs and substance abuse, and violence. Some inmates end up in jail due to ignorance of the law. The prison library will therefore enlighten them about the unlawful actions that may have led them to jail. Through reading legal texts in the library, it can also spark an interest in understanding the law so as to overturn their convictions, defend themselves in court adequately, and ensure that they receive fair treatment in prison. They may also take a biased interest in undertaking law as a career.
Social benefits
Mothers confined with their children while serving their prison sentences will also get to benefit from this program as they will get to read with their children, inculcating a reading culture in their young ones.
The library will also create meaningful camaraderie through shared interests fostered through creation of reading groups where they can share diverse views and perceptions on the books they read. The prison library will also boost the inmates’ mental health.
Lower recidivism rates
Finally, the library will increase awareness, enlightenment and change in mindset, necessary for reduction of recidivism rates through providing basic knowledge that influences them to deviate from harmful activities in and out of the prisons.
