Modifiable Risk Factors and Their Relationship to Risk Management Strategies Among Violent Offenders at Eldoret Main Prison

Abstract

Modifiable risk factors assessment and risk management are central to most management decisions made in prisons about offenders, including who should be released, what restrictions are appropriate, and what rehabilitative efforts would be effective. If adopted, the modifiable risk factors assessment and risk management would be useful in predicting future re-offending and at the same time be a useful tool of rehabilitation to build behavior change by identifying a specific treatment program for violent offenders. This research project’s purpose was to assess modifiable risk factors and their relationship to risk management strategies among violent offenders at Eldoret Main Prison. The study sought to determine the modifiable risk factors and risk management strategies among violent offenders at Eldoret main prison and establish the relationship between modifiable risk factors and risk management strategies among violent offenders at Eldoret main prison. The study was conducted at Eldoret Main Prison. The study applied a descriptive survey method for collecting and analyzing primary data. The target population in the study comprised 152 violent offenders (convicted for robbery with violence, murder, home invasions, burglaries, kidnappings, and armed carjacking). The sample size was 74 violent offenders. The selection of the 74 study participants was attained using a stratified proportionate random sampling technique. For the collection of primary data from the selected study participants, self –administered questionnaires were utilized. Particularly, the drop-and-pick later approach was employed in the self-administration of the questionnaires. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 25.0) was utilized in the analysis of the obtained data. After cleaning the data, which included checking for entry errors, 55 questionnaires were identified as eligible and appropriate for the data analysis procedure. After the data analysis, the study found seven acute modifiable risk factors, comprising substance abuse, anger or hostility, opportunity or access to victims, a negative mood, employment, interpersonal relationships, and six stable modifiable risk factors including living situations and peer associations, attitudes towards authority, impulse control, problem solving, sense of entitlement, and attachment with others and contributing to offending. The study found five specific risk management strategies implemented by the Eldoret main prison for the management of violent offenders. Finally, a chi square test score of 8.14 was obtained with a p- value of 0.04 which is less than the set significance level of 0.05 indicating significant relationship between modifiable risk factors and risk management strategies among violent offenders at Eldoret main prison was found, hence concluding that the established risk management strategies factors impacted the violent offenders’ modifiable risk within Eldoret main prison.