The Lamu Hindi GK prison administration has expressed concern about an increase in the number of ex-convicts committing new crimes just to re-enter the facility.
According to Festo Odongo, Senior Superintendent of the Hindi GK Prison, recidivism, or re-offending, undermines the primary purpose of imprisonment, which is to serve as a deterrent to future lawbreaking.
“In recent times, inmates who complete their jail terms have intentionally gone out to commit similar or minor offenses to return to the prison to continue enjoying free meals and other services like medication,” Odongo said.
Odongo stated that the main reason for the rising rate of recidivism in Lamu is that convicts want to continue receiving free services, including food, from the state due to the difficult economic situation.
With the tough economic times, including the high cost of living, repeat offenders find that life in prison is cheaper than life outside, according to Hindi GK prison.
According to Kenya Prisons data, the majority of repeat offenders are likely to be young, unemployed males who had unstable lifestyles prior to imprisonment.
“For such characters, desisting from such freedom is crucial and can enable them to make major strides in life rather than getting held in prison, hence infringing their freedom,” Odongo advised the offenders.
