THE WORK OF JUSTICE DEFENDERS IN PRISONS

justice Defenders has made a significant impact on the lives of inmates in Kenya through its legal services and education programs. Here are some key numbers and stories that highlight their work:

1. Justice Served: Over 100,000 imprisoned clients without access to justice have been served with free legal services. 650 paralegals have been trained to run legal practices at prisons in Uganda, Kenya, and The Gambia. 59 incarcerated individuals and prison officers have graduated with a University of London law degree.
2. Inspirational Stories: John Bosco Oryem, who was arrested in 2009 and sentenced to nine years in prison, recently completed his sentence and became a Justice Defenders law student. He represented the organization at the 28th African Human Rights Moot Competition. Susan Kigula, who spent a decade on death row in Uganda, not only secured her own freedom but also helped hundreds of others escape death row. She is now a prominent campaigner against the death penalty.
3. Community Capacity-Building: Justice Defenders takes a radical approach to community capacity-building within the criminal justice system, making a positive impact on society as a whole.

Their work extends beyond numbers, creating a ripple effect that transforms lives and promotes justice.

In a study carried out by Mercyline Nasiloli on the factors influencing recidivism among convicted prisoners in Lang’ata women prison; the study results have shown that prisoners who received education in prison were less likely to commit crime than those who did not. The study also revealed that majority of the prisoners who participated in vocational training had less chances of reoffending. It was established that the inmates who underwent vocational training were less likely to engage in crime compared to those who did not as they were economically viable and useful to their society. The study established that most of the prisoners’ behaviour had changed as a result of their participation in guidance and counselling. This enabled the prisoners to manage triggers of criminal behaviour such as anger, bad company, and drug abuse which earlier influenced majority of them to commit crimes they were convicted for. The study revealed that prisoners who received support for tools and equipment were less likely to re-offend than those who did not. It is hence evident from the research carried out by Mercyline Nasiloli that as long as Kenya Prisons service continues to be overburdened by lack of enough workshops and machinery for purposes of promoting vocational training and education, rehabilitation of offenders and curbing of recidivism will remain a challenge.

Justice Defenders has stepped in to help reduce some of the problems facing the rehabilitation system in Kenya and Uganda by providing legal education to inmates thus making them more aware of their rights and transforming them into law-abiding citizens. These same inmates who are trained also train others thus making the work of the prison department easier. Such prisoners when released should be given a second chance by the society but most importantly once a prisoner has been certified reformed and released from prison such a prisoner should be automatically given a certificate of good conduct by the office of the DPP. Denying them the certificate means that the government does not trust itself and its penal systems and therefore the belief that such a prisoner has not transformed makes the work of the penal institutions much more difficult since such prisoners are likely to re-offend if they cannot be given productive employment for lack of certificate of good conduct.

For those willing to support the work of Justice Defenders in Prisons, To make a donation, you can visit their donation page here: https://www.justice-defenders.org/donate

Your contribution will help fuel their efforts in promoting justice and reforming the legal system