| dc.description.abstract | Recidivism is relapsing into criminality after punishment by criminal justice system. Statistical data provided by the research, statistics, data and legal department at prison headquarters of the year 2014 show that we have 11,270 women recidivists in Kenya. This is an increase from 9,581 women recidivists recorded in the year 2013. Therefore, this is asocial phenomenon that is on the increase in Kenya and especially among women. In an effort to intervene on recidivism, the government of Kenya through the department of correctional services has established several reform programs to help address the problem of recidivism. Due to this persistent problem the present study sought to establish factors that contribute to recidivism and its levels among Kenyan women prisoners. The study applied both qualitative and quantitative research methods to carry out the study in Lang’ata women maximum security Prison because it is the only women maximum security correctional facility in Kenya that holds both long term and short term prisoners from different parts of the country. The study used questionnaires, interviews and observation to collect data and descriptive statistics to present findings. Strain theory, labeling theory and women liberation movement theory were used to guide the study. A total of 50 respondents (recidivists) filled the questionnaires, with 5 prison warders and 5 prison officers interviewed as key informants. The study summary findings were that 60% of the respondents showed that they would actually go back to criminality upon their release, about 38% had committed crimes twice, while 32% had committed offences thrice and 14% had committed five times and above showing high levels of recidivism. Majority (75%) of the respondents committed crime for financial reasons, because by the third and fourth arrests the respondents had no legal source of income like employment or business, 78% of the respondents who recidivated were youths, 46% of the respondents were single parents and about 52% of the respondents had primary education, while 48% of them had secondary and college education, therefore socio-economic characteristics played a big role on their recidivism. Therefore, study recommended financial assistance and training on management of these finances, moral support from the religious sector, families, NGO’s and government institutions to enlighten the society not to discriminate the ex-convicts and other legal programs to support the inmates at risk of recidivating. | |
