Factors Contributing to Juvenile Recidivism in Kenyan Prisons: the Case of Inmates of Kamiti Maximum Prison, Nairobi

Abstract

Rates of recidivism are an indication of the degree to which released inmates have been rehabilitated and the quality of correctional programs offered to inmates played a role in successful reintegration of prisoners back into the society. This study focuses on the factors contributing to juvenile recidivism in Kenyan prisons. The study focuses on the following objectives, to establish how socio-demographic factors associated with the recidivism among the male juveniles, the role of residential community related factors in recidivism; the impact of the legislative factors in accentuating recidivism among the male juveniles. The target population was the juveniles’ inmates at Kamiti Maximum prison in Nairobi. The study used cross-sectional survey design. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select representatives from the six strata of the population, giving a sample size of 70 respondents. Purposive sampling technique was applied in selecting the key informants and FDG participants. The data collected was analyzed using SPSS. The study results showed that most of the juvenile had witnessed crime within their neighborhood and this could be the reason behind committing crime in the first arrest. Most of the friends to the victims had been arrested before indicating the influence of peer pressure on recidivism. The study findings also revealed that majority of the convicts had appeared before the court for hearing and determination of their cases; others were not subjected to the due process of the law. The study concludes that religion and access to spirituality has a role to play in the recidivism among the juveniles, it’s also concluded that juveniles who were suffering from the recidivism had both their parents present, indicating that the presence of both parents is inversely proportional to recidivism and that the marital status of the parents have a lot to do with the recidivism among the juveniles, as parents have a great impact on the character development of their children. It is recommended that more funds should be allocated for vocational training since it significantly reduced recidivism and that most juvenile inmates participated in it. This study therefore recommends that the government should make education free or affordable for those in prison and for the ex-convict, also the study recommends that more funds should be allocated for vocational training since it significantly reduced recidivism and that most juvenile inmates participated in it. The study also recommends that there should be the establishment of anger management centers both inside and outside the prison and also the establishment for guidance and counseling centers and rehabilitation centers for children and adults abusing drugs and alcohol