We don’t ‘manufacture’ inmates, says prisons boss amidst calls for decongestion

NAIROBI,Kenya, Feb 18 – At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, correctional facilities across the country introduced tough measures to combat the spread of the deadly virus and avert death amongst prison wardens and inmates.

In recent months, cases of inmates being infected with the coronavirus have drastically decreased, though calls for even further measures have been called for.

At onset of the pandemic, the Kenya prisons service announced that petty offenders would be released from the various correctional and remand facilities in order to decongest prisons with health officials advocating for the decongestions of prisons which was identified as one of the hotspots for the spread of the virus, due to the difficulty in implementing regulations such as social distancing among others.

On an advisory from the National Council on Administrative of Justice (NCAJ), thousands of inmates were released across the country, with the move said to reduce the risk of the virus spreading in prisons.

The move is said to have targeted petty offenders and those in remand facilities.

Kenya Prisons Service commissioner General Wycliffe Ogallo on Wednesday said that despite cases of COVID-19 being on the rise in the past few months, the situation has steadily improved as measures continue to be heightened.

“Part of what of what we do is adhere to strict COVID guidelines such as limit visits to prisons and if inmates have court cases conduct virtual trials, ” said Ogallo.

During the period, the inmate population was reduced significantly to 42, 000.

In recent months however the number has increased to 48,000.

“We do not manufacture inmates, we are at the tail end of the criminal justice system’. Administration of justice is a continuous process. On whether we will decongest prisons, then that is a question best answered by the judiciary,” he said.

Meanwhile, early Wednesday, acting Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu said the judiciary is mitigating the impacts of the virus while ensuring the greatest extent possible minimum disruption of access to justice.

“Courts are doing their part to mitigate COVID-19 by increasing use of alternatives to pre-trial detention and imprisonment to support decongestion of detention facilities as well as enhancing avenues for diversion of matters through alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and alternative justice system (AJS),” she said.

The Kenya Prisons Service has meanwhile ensured that only wardens and medical personnel stationed and living in specific correctional facilities are granted access to inmates, in order to limit interactions and the spread of the virus.

Inmates blocks are constantly fumigated and their temperatures taken on a regular basis.