OVERVIEW OF THE COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS SYSTEMIN KENYA
I. INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS IN KENYA
Kenya has a population of about 40 million and a prison population of over 54,000 which
may be construed that the justice system is skewed to favour custodial punishment. Measures
to address this scenario include various community corrections sentences.
The practice of ‘probation’ as a sentencing and or correctional disposition is a response toclassical and medieval management of crime and deviance which put more emphasis on
punitive sanctions as opposed to rehabilitative and reformative measures. It is also responsive
to human right acclaim to the methods best suited to the management of errant population.
The main attributes of community corrections methods are the humane features, rehabilitative
attributes and penal decongestion outcomes. Probation has continued to be core in thecriminal justice system in Kenya for over six decades.
THE CONCEPT AND PRACTICE OF PROBATION
If the supervision of a sentence of a convicted offender and granting of freedom for aperiod of time under special conditions set by the court was to suffice, then much of thecurrent practice that the service provides would fall out of this definition. Arguably, there isno universally accepted definition that would suffice, as the practice is subject to respective
statutes of different states and there is no universally agreed code of practice. Nevertheless,and in a majority of jurisdictions, probation practice entails elements of:•legal mandate,•supervision and therapy,•

Judicial function (or judicial supervision)•is practiced in the community where the offender is helped to re-adjust and lastly•

It is a distinct discipline within the criminal justice system (Hamai 1995).
The above definition speak to the traditional practice which is more vertical and leaveout the current practices which include the engagement with victims, ex-offenders, those oncommunity punishment orders and the various responses to crime typologies (e.g. Gender
Based Violence, psychiatric cases etc). Nevertheless, this understanding places us at thefoot of the emergence of probation in Kenya as it was largely typified within thosefundamentals.

The United Nations as early as 1951 described probation as consisting of“The conditional suspension of punishment while the offender is placed under supervisionand is given individual guidance or treatment”
As Harries (1995) pointed out, providing similar services without sanctions would not beprobation but social work. It must involve some element of coercion for it to qualify asprobation. Probation practice in Kenya is still inclined to the welfare orientation with thecoercive feature, which is supposed to be the mainstay, overridden.
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
As was with the English system then, the probation gained favour with the recognition
that there was need to establish a system to work with the courts and rehabilitate offenders in
the community with some professionalism. With this realization, a commission wasestablished (The Patterson Commission of 1939) to look into the issue of overcrowding inprisons. The Patterson commission observed that overcrowding did indeed exist in prisonsand consequently recommended the use of non-custodial options. Probation sanction which isthe epitome of all supervised sanctions was established in Kenya through an ordinance in1943 although its implementation came in 1946. The Commissioner of Prisons was appointed
then the Chief Probation Officer given that the programme was domiciled in prison and that
there were no trained probation officers in Kenya then.
Later organizational positioning saw the department aligned to the judiciary in 1952
before moving to the Ministry of Community development enabling the Service tosuperintend over Approved schools, Remand homes and accord Aftercare supervision to exborstal inmates. This development saw the principal probation officer also become the Chief
Inspector of Approved Schools. There were several amendments to the probation ordinances
before finally the first government of independent Kenya establishing the current Probationof Offenders Act Cap 64.
There were no trained probation officers in Kenya in this early face and therefore thecolonial administration imported 5 British Probation Officers who worked with 9 African
assistants.
The colonial government instituted several policy measures that guided the recruitment,
training and deployment of assistant probation officers. The training with significant British
government support continued till the end of 1980’s. The probation officers’ training withstrong social work orientation ran for two years and was more of professional/technicaltraining than currently which is more of induction. The first major crop of University
graduates joined the service at the beginning of 1980 but still with sociology and public
administration background. Currently all entrants to the service are university social science
graduates
The department in the early phase was mandated to supervise non custodial orders, undertake aftercare supervision (mainly for ex-borstal inmates) on behalf of prisons andsuperintend over juvenile welfare and institutions, the latter function now under theChildren’s Service.

LEGAL BASIS for COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS
Operational mandates
The constitution and various statutes have empowered the Department, among othercriminal justice agencies, to participate in the implementation of criminal law andcorrectional services. Specifically, the department derives its mandate from the Constitutionof Kenya 2010 and the following statutes:•

The Probation of Offenders Act, Cap 64 Laws of Kenya•

The Community Services Orders Act No. 10 of 1998 Laws of Kenya•

Prisons Act CAP 90Laws of Kenya•

Children Act of 2001Laws of Kenya•

The Borstal Institutions Act CAP 92Laws of Kenya•

The Sexual Offences Act No. 6 of 2006Laws of Kenya•

The Power of Mercy Act of 2011Laws of Kenya•

The Criminal Procedure Code CAP 75•

The Penal Code CAP 63 Laws of Kenya•

And any other relevant Acts as such as the Mental Health Act CAP 248

ORGANIZATION AND PERSONNEL
Probation service is a Government agency involved in the administration of criminal
justice specifically charged with the responsibility of implementing supervised non-custodialcorrectional services within the community. For purposes of planning and budgeting, under
the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) the Department falls under theGovernance Justice Law and Order Sector (GLOS).
The four main Departmental objectives are:a. To generate information for dispensation of justice.
b. To supervise court sanctions and rehabilitate offenders.
c.

To reintegrate and resettle offenders

d. To promote, encourage and participate in the protection of victims’ rights and welfare
The main functions of the Department are:•Facilitation in the administration of criminal law through generation of social reports
to inform decision making on bail, sentencing and penal release.

•

Supervision of offenders on probation orders, community service orders and otherpenal release licenses•

Reintegration, resettlement and reintegration of offenders in the community.

•

Provision of services for the protection and promotion of rights and welfare of victims•

Participation in social crime prevention

The above objectives and functions are seen in the light of the underlying and shared
responsibility of all criminal justice agencies which is public protection and community
safety. The Department operates 120 stations serving all courts country wide and has beensupervising over 30,000 offenders at any given time for the last couple of years.
Vision Statement
A just, safe, crime-free society
Mission Statement
To Promote and enhance the administration of justice, community safety and public
protection through provision of social inquiry reports, supervision and reintegration of noncustodial offenders, victim support and social crime prevention.

Strategic Aims•

To ensure offenders comply and successfully complete their sentences and avoid
further offending•

To ensure that they repay the community for the harm or damage they have caused•

To provide the offenders with the opportunity to change and redirect their lives more
purposefully and contribute towards social economic development•

To work towards reconciliation between the victims, the community and the offenders•

To promote safer communities, build public confidence in the non-custodial sentences•

To provide excellent leadership to the staff, ensure that they

are motivated,developed and supported to effectively discharge their duties and towards this end
work closely with Kenya National Association of Probation officers•

To provide high quality and effective services which give the public value for money

PROBATION SERVICE STAFF ESTABLISHMENTDESIGNATION
1.

No.

DIRECTOR

1

2. DEPUTY DIRECTOR

2

3. SENIOR ASST DIRECTOR

4

4. ASST DIRECTOR

12PRINCIPALPROBATION

21

OFFICER
5. CHIEF PROBATION OFFICER

123

6. SENIOR PROBATION OFFICER

223

7. PROBATION OFFICER1218

8. PROBATION OFFICER ll

41

TOTAL

645

9. RECORDS MGT OFFICER

1

10. ACCOUNTANTS

2

11. HOUSE KEEPERS

7

12. SECRETARIES

52

13. ARTISANS

5

14. STORE KEEPER I/II SRN

2

15. PROCUREMENT OFFICR

3

16. CLERICAL OFFICERS

157

17. DRIVERS

44

18. SECURITY WARDEN

25

19. COOKS

11

20. SUPPORT STAFF

74

TOTAL

383

GRAND TOTAL

1028

MAIN TASKSIn Kenya the probation department has the legal mandate to carry out the following tasks;
1.To conduct social inquiries and provide reports to courts and other penal review boards
which include; pre-sentence report for assessing offender suitability for a specific sentence
disposal and also carries appropriate remedial actions necessary to forestall re-offending; A
pre-Realise report where the probation officer has to provide the holding authority withinformation regarding the home conditions of the inmate and this involves gathering basic
offender information, interviewing the offender at his/her home, place of work, victims of theoffence, community members and any relevant institution, Assessing aggravating
circumstances, compiling the report and submitting it to courts and other penal institutions
and currently the probation officers are involved in generation of pre-bail reports for purposesof bond terms.
2. Supervision of non-custodial court orders under relevant Act which involves discussing theorder with the offender, drawing individual treatment plan providing regular progress reports
and this brings on board the services of the volunteer probation officers in turn protecting thecommunity.
3. Rehabilitation and Re-integration of offenders: in this case the probation officer carries out
offender needs assessment to enable the development of a plan that attends to the specificneeds of the offender achieved through guidance and counselling and also may refer to otherrehabilitation agencies and also the officer is required to provide regular progress reports on
post release offender like the Ex-Borstal, Ex-prisoners and special category criminals andtheir final settlement back to the community.
4. Providing temporary accommodations and empowerment for needy deserving offenders
which include paying school fees for those schools going, placing them in boys and girls
hostels where some pursue formal schooling while others undertake vocational training andproviding them with tools i.e. tailoring, barber, hair dresser, computer skills hence cautioning
the young offenders from hostile home conditions.
5. Crime Prevention in this case probation officers engage the community including parents,
teacher’s students in addressing the factors that drive individuals towards offending in whichcase the probation officers have to come up with specific social models of crime reduction

within their area of jurisdiction addressing issues revolving on drugs and substance misuseand support for awareness on gender based violence and its reduction.
ALTERNATIVE SANCTIONS AND COMMUNITY SUPERVISION
1. Types of Community Measures, Orders, Dispositions, in Kenya
Type

Description/eligible

Sentencing

Supervision/(Category)

offendersauthority

Treatment period

Probation

Any juvenile and adult criminal courts- Supervision

andordersoffender who has been children’s

counselling.

Can

found

involve placement in a

guiltyfor

any Court,

offence other than capital magistrates and probation Hostel
offences
Community

High Court

Any offenders convicted criminal courts-

working

intheservice orders- of an offence punishable magistrates andcommunity

largely

under supervision for

Adult

for by imprisonment up to 3 High Court
years

projects

between one day andoffenders

three years (converted
into hours of work

Suspended

may be grated to any

Any court

sentence

offender for up to 2 years

criminal

for an offence ofjurisdictionof no supervision

misdemeanour
Conditional

may be grated to any

Any court

discharge

offender for an offence ofcriminal

misdemeanour withjurisdictionof No supervision by any
authority

conditions not to commit
any offence failure towhich fresh sentencing
may be preferred
The Probation Service in Kenya handles juvenile offenders who fall into conflict with thelaw and in a majority of the cases provide advisory reports to the courts to determine the best
disposal option depending on the needs of the child, nature and circumstances of the offenceand home conditions subject their suitability, the juvenile offenders may be placed on
probation, committed to a rehabilitation school ( those aged between 12-15) or Borstal
institution (those aged between 15 and 17years) for three years but may be subject to earlier
release, sent to probation hostels( for period not exceeding one year where they are enrolled

in formal learning. Youthful offenders who are first offenders aged between 17 and 21 years
may be committed to a Youth Correctional Centre for period of four months.

All these

institutions train the youthful offenders in vocational skills like welding, horticulture
carpentry, masonry and other relevant technical and social skills. Offenders committed to
Borstal institutions who are discharged before the three years are over are mandatorily
subject to supervision for the remainder of the period on licence (for reintegration purposes
and aftercare) for the remainder of the period and may be re-called for breach.
2. Conditions of Probation
In Kenya the probation order requires an offender to be placed under the supervision of aprobation officer in lieu of imprisonment. The supervision is can be between six months (6)and three (3) years as may be pronounced by the court. The order may also include
compensation orders. The court retains the residual powers to sent4ecen the offender a freshin case of breach of order.
The following are the provisions of the probation orders which the offender is ordered toobey:•

Be of good behaviour during the period of probation.

•

Report to the Probation Officer once a month or more frequently if required•

Not associate with anyone with whom the offender is forbidden to associate with•

Subject to visits from the Probation Officer, at your home or place of residence.

•

Be honest and truthful to the Probation Officer with regard residence, conduct or
employment.

•

Report to the Probation Officer any change of your employment or residence.

•

Abstain from over-indulgence in intoxicating liquor.

•

Endeavour to obtain and remain in regular employment and•Follow any directions or advice given by the Probation Officer•

The offender may also be directed to reside at a given place including a probation
hostel•There may be additional condition ordered by the Court•

The offender may also be order to enter into a recognizance with or without a suretyof a specified amount

3. Probation Supervision
The intake process of a probationer begins when one is adjudged guilty by a court of law
and a court order is handed to the offender after the submission of the probation officers
report (pre-sentence offence) spelling out the period to be served by the offender which issigned and sealed by the magistrate, It follows that the provisions of the order are read andexplained to the offender of which the offender signs signifying he /she understands. To
check compliance the probation officer may make visits at the home of the offender, school,project area, make phone calls, mails, arrange for meetings and regular appointments
depending on the risk levels of the offender. Breach action on non compliance is enforced via
caution, warning, variation or( revocation of the order which may prefer alternative sentence)
During the supervision, the probation officer may arrange for the offender to undergocertain training or undertake services provided by social agencies in the community. The
probation officer provides brokerage services with government agencies for the benefit of theoffender including schooling, employment and other services meant to increase theiremployability.
The probation officer is also mandated to prepare a supervision and rehabilitation planmeant to tackle problem areas and whose objective is to forestall reoffending and effectbehaviour change. Largely, counselling is the key programme used during supervision andthis is provided by probation officers and where desirable by other professional counsellors
working in the voluntary sector.
4. Assessment, Classification, and Level of Supervision of Probationers
The aim of the offender assessment is to formulate the probationer’s problems in terms ofneeds and risks which guide the development and implementation of the individual treatment
plan which also determines the levels of supervision. The Kenyan system has not adopted theaccredited assessment tools but use the Strength, Weakness, Opportunity Threats (SWOT)
approach to identify the areas of needs and the areas of strength where support is emphasised.
In doing this, the department is guided by professional judgement and social diagnosis of thepresenting and underlying problems to be addressed. Social inquiries and intrinsic interviews
conducted by the probation officers are the mainstay of identifying social capital and otheravailable resources for empowerment of the offender.
Towards embracing risk need responsively principles the department is in the process ofdeveloping a local assessment tool which will be a domesticated version of Evidence Basedinternational assessment scales. The assessment instrument is under pilot study evaluation.
Treatment programmes like anger management, domestic violence prevention and othercognitive behavioural programme are yet to fully take root. Much of what probation officerdeliver are generic social work characterised by problem solving, social skills training andcounselling techniques.

Probation Hostels
In Kenya currently there are no designated halfway houses. However there are 4
probation hostels with one for girls. These are temporally houses for probationers only andwho cannot return to the community immediately or who may need intensive supervision andtraining. Programmes in the facilities include, vocational training, counselling, formal

education and social skills training. The hostels admit offenders placed on probation as acondition of the probation order. The hostels which are designated as national institutions, arefor children, women, Youth and Adults and are situated in different parts of the country.
The department has also established Probation community Rehabilitation and Resource
Centre also Known as Probation Day Care centres. These are non-residential crime
prevention and offender rehabilitation facilities which are used by youths who are at risk ofoffending and offenders under supervision but which may require training in any of thecourses offered there. There are two such institutions fully established and which provide
training social and technical skills training, counselling, computer applications, hair dressing,and a community library. We currently have one volunteer technical expert from Japan sent
by JICA helping in the training.
Specific Measures and Programmes of Community Corrections
Probation Orders
Probation orders its mandate from Probation of Offender’s Act Cap 64 Laws of Kenya.
Probation orders provide the embodiment of the department’s supervision and rehabilitation
programme. The programme involves placement of an offender under the supervision of aprobation officer for compliance with the conditions of the order to ensure the offender lives
a law abiding life and does not revert back to crime.
Community Service Orders
The Community Service Orders (CSO) is implemented under the CSO Act No. 10 of1998 of the Laws of Kenya. An offender under this programme performs unpaid public workwithin a community and for the benefit of that community for the period determined by the
court.

Aftercare and Reintegration
This programme is designed for the supervision of offenders who are released fromvarious penal institutions either on license or upon completion of their sentence forreintegration and resettlement. It currently operates under Borstal Institutions Act, The
Prisons Act and The Criminal Procedure Code and the Power of Mercy Act. Theselegislations provide for the aftercare and reintegration of ex-Borstal inmates, ex-long term
prisoners and special category offenders and offenders released by the exercise of thepresidential power of mercy.
In addition to the above the Department has other services emanating from expanded
functions. These are:1.

Victim Services. This programme encompasses activities that aim at providing
protection and welfare services including victim notification, counselling, legal services,and facilitation of reparation and compensation. The enactment of Victim of offences Act
to give probation legal mandate is under way. Currently probation officer write victim
impact statements and undertake victim offender reconciliation where admissible.

2. Bail Information and supervision. This involves the provision of pre-bail reports (social
inquiry reports) aimed at assisting the court making informed decision on bail. This is inline with the Constitutional right to bond or bail for the accused person as pronounced
under articles 49(1) (h) and 49(2) of the Constitution of Kenya 2010.

Besides making

presentence reports, this is a major preoccupation of probation officers. A draft legislative
Bill to give effect to this programme has been developed.

II. PARTICIPATION OF THE COMMUNITY
Volunteer Probation Officers
1. Introduction
The concept of volunteerism in probation service in understood as defined by the UN
standard minimum Rules for non-custodial measures (TOKYO RULES) which define a VPO
as ‘any person appointed by the government to assist a probation officer in the rehabilitationof offenders’.

Volunteers are meant to assist probation officers towards changing the lives

of offenders (through supervision) and help reduce crime in their local areas of operation.
The concept was borrowed from Japan as a community participation effort in crime
prevention and offender management
2. Status
The programme is established in 30 of the Counties 47 countries. It is coordinated fromthe National Officer but each probation station has its field coordinator who id the station
officer in charge. There are currently about 295 volunteer probation officer comprising of 235

(80%) are males and 60 (20%) are females. Out of this number, 212 are active while 83 areinactive
In Kenya, the volunteer probation officers are not paid however a few had been facilitatedby provision of communication gadgets like of mobile phones, bicycles, and stationary someof which also act as incentives for the job. One of the greatest challenges which do notconform to international standards is that there is no budgetary provision for reimbursementof actual costs incurred by the VPOs while carrying out their duties. This has greatly
hampered the programme leading to hire turnover.
Other challenges the experience include lack of resources, training and motivation.
3. MAIN TASKS, DUTIES, AND ROLESThe PVO programme has been practiced since 2005 when it started on pilot basis in a few
counties. The volunteers provide auxiliary services to probation officers especially withregard to verifying information about the offenders coming from their communities,
supervising offenders on probation orders and community service orders and those on
Aftercare supervision upon exit from correctional facilities especially for the youth.
Specifically the VPOs carry out the following•

Helping the probation officers verify some of the information on the accused person
due for sentencing•

Providing close contact and Supervising of offenders on probation orders andcommunity services orders•

Helping with the reintegration of youthful offenders exiting from correctional
facilities•

Maintaining records of work by them and work done by offenders on community
punishment orders•

Liaising with local agencies and linking the offenders to community resources•

Helping in crime prevention by identifying at risk children and youth and taking
remedial action in collaboration with other agencies and the administration

Generally the VPO keep daily watch on offenders placed in various community service
work centres within their respective jurisdiction and sign the work record sheet at the sametime reporting non-compliancy forth with. They also direct probationers and othersupervisees on where to access help be it medical for those suffering illness, Food Aid,
Micro-Finance loans, Vocational training like enrolling in village polytechnics. They too
undertake group activities like sports with the clients hence sensitizing them on theconsequences of breaking the law and issues of HIV and substance abuse. The VPOs are
responsible to the probation officers to whom they report directly
4. Appointment, Recruitment

The VPOs are recruited from among community members who meet certain criteria set
by the department of Probation and Aftercare service. They are appointed by the National
Director of Probation upon an induction training or orientation by the department. Although
there is no specific and clear law governing VPO programme, their appointment is inaccordance to the Probation of Offenders Act and the Community Service Orders Act
The appointment and recruitment of the V.P.O in Kenya is basically guided on theprincipal of avoiding job seekers and approval of the Director of probation and aftercare
services because it entirely has no monetary reward and therefore those to qualify are seen as
retired civil servants, Religious leaders, social workers, community leaders whore willing tofind time, provide free service, be role models of strong moral standing and integrity and at
least above 30 years from both genders.
5. Capacity building (training)
VPOs are provided with initiative induction training before formally being recruited onto
the work. The training is conducted by probation officers and the subject areas include,
concept of VPO and volunteerism, criminal justice process, supervision, interviewing record
management, aftercare among others. Due to lack of resources to hold workshop training,they may be induction on the job by respective probation officers.
6. Organization of volunteer probation officers (national and regional levels)
The director of probation and Aftercare service has the overall responsibility for the
programme. However, there is an assistant director at the Headquarters who is responsible forthe national coordination of the probation. At the county level the county probation directors
provide oversight but the day to day work with the VPOs is carried out by the District
probation officers in charge of the station. The VPOs also report to respective probation
officers who are responsible for the supervision of a particular client.

The VPO are yet toform an association
7. Other Characteristics
Much of probation work is court and community based and thus the work in court iscarried out in collaboration with the other criminal justice agencies and Non Governmentalorganizations. The Judiciary, prisons service, police, ministry of health (in Psychiatric cases)
the directorate of Public prosecution and the Children’s department are the key agencies
working with the department. Some of the organizations which the department networks withat the national level include;•

National Agency Campaign Against Drug Abuse (Nacada),•

Legal Resource Foundation (Human Rights and Rule of Law•

Amani counseling centre,It is worth noting that all government and agencies at the national and county levels workwith the department in one way or the other. Similarly there are many other small voluntaryorganizations at the grassroots level work with the department at the community level.
III. REFERENCE
1.

Hamai, K., Viler. Harris, R., Hough and Zvekic, U., (1995) (eds), Probation around
the World: a Comprehensive Study,

Routeledge

2.

Community service orders Act no. 10 of 1998 laws of Kenya

3.

Probation of offenders Act Cap 64 laws of Kenya

4.

United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Non-custodial Measures(The Tokyo Rules) Adopted by General Assembly resolution 45/110of 14 December
1990

5.

www.probation.go.keIV. STATISTICSPROBATION AND COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDERS PLACEMENTS

Year

PROBATION ORDERS

2005

8,191

2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
TOTAL

COMMUNIY SERVICE ORDERS

55,517

8,724

60,927

9,205

53,7858,800

47,606

7,409

35,4338,770

43,045

12,36940,226

9,169

41,124

72,637

377,663

TOTAL
63,70869,651
62,99056,40642,84251,81552,59550,293
450,300