Authors :
Charles Ouma Omondi; Calvince Barack Omondi; Jane Lusenaka Khasoa
Volume/Issue :
Volume 8 - 2023, Issue 9 - September
Google Scholar :
https://bit.ly/3TmGbDi
Scribd :
https://tinyurl.com/4phphd4a
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8397881
Abstract :
After the Dark Era of Colonial Kenya’s
retribution-oriented prisons system, prisons reform
policy encompasses a rehabilitation concept entailing
three main programs: vocational training, formal
educational program (primarily primary and secondary
education), and psychological and social (including
religious components). Despite existence in principle,
policy practice faces a myriad of challenges and policy
analysis research is required to unpack dynamics of
practice and generate ecidence for improvement. This
study, zooming in on vocational training program (VTP),
examined the influence of offenders’ literacy on the
uptake of the said program. The study focused on Kisumu
Prisons Command, the third-largest prison hosting male
and female inmates, and Kisii Prisons Command, the
Nyanza region's second-largest prison. Three specific
objectives guided the investigation: Adopting the
Constructivist Learning Theoretical Model and
employing a mixed-methods approach, the study collected
data from various sources, including male and female
inmates, vocational training instructors, prison officers-
in-charge, and external program collaborators.
Qualitative insights were drawn through interviews with
9 officers-in-charge, 10 vocational training instructors,
and 6 social welfare officers, equally distributed between
Kisii and Kisumu. Quantitative data were collected via
semi-structured questionnaires administered to male and
female inmates, with sample sizes determined using
Fischer et al.'s (1998) formula. Study showed that literacy
levels remain low in both men and women prisons; more
female offenders are enrolled into literacy, gendered and
prison-context aspects of VTP uptake obtain and thus the
need for more targeted policies focusing on literacy as a
pre-cursor to enhancing VTP programs. The study
emphasized the importance of designing programs that
consider offenders' varying literacy levels to maximize
their engagement and benefits. Conclusively, this
research brought together theoretical frameworks and
empirical investigation to provide actionable insights with
implications for policy and practice. The findings
contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of
offender rehabilitation through VTPs, offering guidance
for future initiatives that prioritize gender-sensitive
approaches and holistic inmate rehabilitation.
Keywords :
Offenders’ literacy, rehabilitation, Kisumu prison, Kisii prison.
After the Dark Era of Colonial Kenya’s
retribution-oriented prisons system, prisons reform
policy encompasses a rehabilitation concept entailing
three main programs: vocational training, formal
educational program (primarily primary and secondary
education), and psychological and social (including
religious components). Despite existence in principle,
policy practice faces a myriad of challenges and policy
analysis research is required to unpack dynamics of
practice and generate ecidence for improvement. This
study, zooming in on vocational training program (VTP),
examined the influence of offenders’ literacy on the
uptake of the said program. The study focused on Kisumu
Prisons Command, the third-largest prison hosting male
and female inmates, and Kisii Prisons Command, the
Nyanza region's second-largest prison. Three specific
objectives guided the investigation: Adopting the
Constructivist Learning Theoretical Model and
employing a mixed-methods approach, the study collected
data from various sources, including male and female
inmates, vocational training instructors, prison officers-
in-charge, and external program collaborators.
Qualitative insights were drawn through interviews with
9 officers-in-charge, 10 vocational training instructors,
and 6 social welfare officers, equally distributed between
Kisii and Kisumu. Quantitative data were collected via
semi-structured questionnaires administered to male and
female inmates, with sample sizes determined using
Fischer et al.'s (1998) formula. Study showed that literacy
levels remain low in both men and women prisons; more
female offenders are enrolled into literacy, gendered and
prison-context aspects of VTP uptake obtain and thus the
need for more targeted policies focusing on literacy as a
pre-cursor to enhancing VTP programs. The study
emphasized the importance of designing programs that
consider offenders' varying literacy levels to maximize
their engagement and benefits. Conclusively, this
research brought together theoretical frameworks and
empirical investigation to provide actionable insights with
implications for policy and practice. The findings
contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of
offender rehabilitation through VTPs, offering guidance
for future initiatives that prioritize gender-sensitive
approaches and holistic inmate rehabilitation.
Keywords :
Offenders’ literacy, rehabilitation, Kisumu prison, Kisii prison.
