Prisons, probation institutions adopt digital tools to strengthen rehabilitative justice

The government has launched a comprehensive digital reform of Kenya’s correctional services aimed at modernising prisons and probation institutions to enhance transparency, efficiency and humane justice.

According to Salome Beacco, Principal Secretary for Correctional Services, the digital overhaul will integrate real-time monitoring systems, online communication platforms, and electronic rehabilitation certificates to improve service delivery.

Beacco added that the reforms will enable closer oversight of inmates and streamline departmental operations.

“We are fully embracing digitisation to enhance transparency, accountability and informed decision-making throughout our correctional systems,” she said.

The initiative will digitise inmate records, link regional commands through an online communication platform and introduce digital Nil-Certificates to verify rehabilitation and discharge, making it easier for reformed inmates to reintegrate into society.

The department further emphasised that the reforms are part of a shift from punitive to rehabilitative justice, supported by vocational training, digital education and psychosocial support.

“Our institutions are producing individuals who leave with skills, not stigma,” she said.

The department is also investing in renewable energy and sustainable farming practices to reduce operational costs and promote environmental sustainability.

Director of Prison Farms Patrick Kariri noted that the approach aligns with President William Ruto’s 15-billion-tree initiative and Kenya’s national clean energy transition target by 2030.

Correctional leaders emphasised that digitisation and rehabilitation must progress hand in hand to create efficient, compassionate systems that offer offenders a genuine second chance.

The third edition of the Correctional Service Week opened on Tuesday amid renewed optimism that the country is on the right track to realise its envisaged reforms.

Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya, who officially opened the three-day forum themed Efficient Service Delivery for the Common Good, said the State Department for Correctional Services has been pioneering a new culture of corrections grounded in rehabilitation, community service, and human rights.

“We are seeing progress in reintegration programmes, vocational training, offender aftercare, and digital innovations that strengthen case management and record systems. These are clear building blocks of a modern, efficient, and people-centred correctional service,” she said.

She added that the government is committed to supporting futuristic correctional facility designs alongside environments that promote learning, mental wellness and vocational growth.

Beacco said her department remains committed to building a correctional service that stands as a pillar of national pride and contributes directly to Kenya’s development agenda, peace, and social cohesion.

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“We envision institutions that are self-sustaining, rehabilitative, secure, and restorative; officers who are empowered, ethical, and professional; and communities that receive back reformed individuals as productive citizens rather than rejected outcasts,” she said.

Azerbaijan’s Deputy Minister of Justice, Major General Mirsaleh Seyidov, pledged his country’s support to help Kenya reform its correctional system, noting that the exchange of best practices will benefit both nations.

“I am very pleased to note that relations between our countries are evolving dynamically with partnerships in different sectors and fields. The meeting between our Presidents on the margins of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York gave a significant boost to our bilateral ties,” Seyidov said.

Commissioner General of Prisons Patrick Aranduh said the Correctional Service Week is more than an event; it is a moment for renewed commitment to efficiency and public service.

“Efficiency is not just numbers but its impact on those entrusted to us,” he said.

Probation and Aftercare Service Secretary Christine Obondi noted that the Correctional Service Week, which began three years ago, has contributed to notable progress in the department’s reform agenda.