Effects of the challenges facing re-entry of women ex-offenders in Nyeri County, Kenya

Headnote

Article history:

Received 28 February 20

Received in revised form 05 April 20

Accepted 02 June 20

Keywords:

Effects, Women Ex-offender, Incarceration, Returnee, Reentry, Reintegration

JEL Classification:

K40, K38, K10

ARTICLE INFO

ABSTRACT

The comparative rate of women entering the formal correctional system and serving custodial sentences, both in prison and prison remand awaiting trial, is on the increase. This is accompanied by a similarly increasing number of women eventually exiting prisons annually. This study investigated the challenges influencing reentry of women ex-offenders in Nyeri County, Kenya. The study specifically investigated the effects of not addressing the challenges identified for women returning from prison in Nyeri County especially challenges connected to housing, employment, relationships, drug, and substance abuse as well as mental health after incarceration. This was a qualitative study adopting a phenomenological design. The site and respondents were purposively selected with snowballing being used to select the respondents to the point of saturation. This study made use of 41 women ex-convicts, 3 FGDs, and 9 key informants. Data were collected by use of semi-structured interview schedules. Results indicated that ex-offenders face various challenges upon release from prison. The effects of these challenges when not addressed the impact the individual self, their family, the community, and predisposed the ex-convicts to a high propensity for recidivism. Based on the findings it is suggested that the use of community corrections, adjusting prison training to market needs, and the use of victim-offender mediation can be better alternatives to incarceration..

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Introduction

The purpose of this study is to examine the challenges women returning home from prisons face in Nyeri County; the effects of the challenges, how they cope with the challenges as well as remedial measures that can be undertaken. This is a generally neglected topic in the treatment of offenders. No written policies and practices exist in Kenya that addresses the difficulties faced by exoffenders, particularly women. No known qualitative studies focusing on challenges women returning home from prison face has been conducted in Kenya or Nyeri County

Within the field of criminology, ex-offender reentry and...