Chief Justice Martha Koome has unveiled a new Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) aimed at addressing the issue of overcrowding in Nairobi’s correctional facilities.
The initiative, launched at the Industrial Area Remand and Maximum Prison, seeks to achieve a sustainable prison population in line with the capacity of existing correctional facilities.
Justice Koome says the move reflects the judiciary’s commitment to criminal justice reform and emphasizes the importance of reviewing sentences.
Further, she highlighted that the initiative would offer alternatives to traditional incarceration, including Community Service Orders.
“Community Service Orders not only alleviates the burden on our prison system but also serves as an innovative tool for supporting the government’s environmental conservation efforts through ‘green sentencing’ that commits such released persons to perform public duties such as tree planting and environmental restoration,” said Koome.
Consequently, She added that the RRI will be implemented in two phases including focus on reviewing the bail and bond terms for un-convicted individuals in remand across the Nairobi region and the second one being review of sentences by High Court judges.
To ensure the effectiveness of these measures, Koome has mandated quarterly decongestion exercises.
Likewise, the CJ urged the government to establish long-term strategies to prevent excessive inmate numbers, which place undue stress on prison infrastructure.
She called for modernization and expansion of correctional facilities, noting that many existing structures are outdated and insufficient for current needs.
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