INTRODUCTION
Traditionally, the criminal justice system the world over has been designed to deter law breaking through a reward-punishment mechanism. Criminals are punished by incarceration and limiting of freedoms. Law abiders on the other hand are rewarded with more freedoms. While acknowledging the regulatory function, of this approach, CAREX-CON further identifies the untoward effects it causes on the prisoner, the family and the society at large. To address these occasioned socio-economic challenges, CAREX-CON sets up service delivery machinery. These include: an integrated community Academy with boarding facilities to accommodate children orphaned through parental incarceration, a halfway transitional facility for returning skilled, ex-convicts due for community entry, its associated industrial complex and vocational school, a mother and child health center, a children’s recreational center, an adult education learning center, a women’s safe house and a Christian guest house. This phased inaugural project self sustains after initial capital investment because of its inbuilt income generating capacity. It wins local community support and participation due to its ability to provide employment, training and learning opportunities thereby serving to repair the breech occasioned by imprisonment. It showcases that reformed ex-offenders can contribute positively to national development and that their children should not suffer neglect and stigma on account of their incarcerated parents.
Structure:
CAREX-CON is a sub-portfolio under the umbrella of the general AFIFA organizational structure. It has its own in-house management structure. It is led by the County Projects’ manager under the office of the Programs’ manager. The service units are under the Unit managers who oversees the day to day running of the units. These are; The Industrial Complex, the halfway transition home, the Community Vocational school, The adult education center, The Mother and Child health services, The safe house, The Academy, The Guest House The Children’s recreational/After School Program facility and Amour-Zone (In-house Security services).There are also affiliate external agencies interfacing with CAREX-CON. These include; ministries of Education, Gender and social Services and Health, the Kenya Police service, Directorate, Offender Correction and rehabilitation, and the Nyumba kumi initiative.
OBJECTIVES
Under the Advocacy for Incarcerated Families (AFIFA), The Comprehensive Approach to the Reintegration of Ex-Convicts (CAREX-CON) seeks to;
mitigate the impacts of imprisonment on prisoner, family and society, and address the widespread socioeconomic problems in the society occasioned by crime and recidivism.
STRATEGY
The Comprehensive Approach to the Reintegration of Ex-Convicts (CAREX-CON) in its completion comprises; The Industrial Complex, the halfway transition home, the Community Vocational school, The adult education center, The Mother and Child health services, The safe house, The Academy, The Guest House The Children’s recreational/After School Program facility and Amour-Zone (In-house Security services)
The industrial complex essentially assists ex-convicts to pick up their lives from scratch for positive re-establishment. It enrolls its participants from the nearby County GK Prison as skilled, reformed convicts serving their last term of sentence, through a rigorous filtering process involving both the AFIFA staff, the Kenya Prison Service Discharge Board and Prison’s Welfare and Chaplaincy department.
Upon meeting the suitability criteria, the candidates then enlist into a counseling program covering aspects of parenting, jobs readiness and community integration skills. This program is continued at the CAREX-CON complex upon release where it is coupled with production through skills. These trade skills include; carpentry, metalwork, dressmaking, painting, upholstery, masonry and farming. The products of their skills are sold to the local community as an income generating initiative that sustains internal running of the industrial complex. The ex-convicts are admitted to this transition facility for a maximum of nine months and are integrated back to their community through AFIFA social work department. Each complex can only admit up to 25 Ex-convicts at a time
The Carex Academy at the CAREX-CON complex runs from pre-school to elementary schooling classes. It provides an opportunity for the local community to appreciate integration, co-existence, ownership belonging and acceptance. The academy is a mixed boys’ and girls’ day school, with Mixed Day and Boarding facility for both boys and girls. The Boarding facilities admit mainly children orphaned through parental incarceration. These children require sponsorship for their education so that their basic needs are met at the school. These needs include education, nutritional support, accommodation, healthcare, clothing and psychosocial support.
The CAREX-CON’s vocational school stems from its industrial complex. It is a practical skills based institution that trains people from the local community on any of the array of skills inherent among the halfway transitional home’s residents, by apprenticeship at a subsidized cost. It benefits from the ex-offender skills while at the same time learning to accept them into the community as a vital contribution to development. The training is facilitated through the machinery and equipment at the Industrial complex unit.
The health of both the pupils at Carex Academy and those transiting via the Halfway Transition home, the Women’s shelter together with that of the women and children from the host community is secured by the Mother and Child health center (PHC).
The CAREX-CON women’s shelter provides temporary shelter for women and their children seeking refuge from danger associated with spousal incarceration together with those women who have suffered displacement form their houses on account of spousal incarceration. The shelter accommodates up to a maximum of 15 families for a maximum of six months while alternative shelter is being sought.
CAREX-CON’s set up being unique in its approach to challenges surrounding incarceration, positions itself as a destination of many guests. These visiting guests and partners desiring to observe and learn its operation would be hosted at the guest house within its precincts. The complete unit will host a maximum of 40 guests with, self-contained rooms, a cafeteria, a conference hall and Wi-Fi access for ease of communication.
Incarceration with the reassurance that one’s children are mitigated against the adverse effects of missing in action can be a source of consolation to a prisoner. The Academy does just this. By enrolling children of incarcerated parents, it ensures that their parents serve their sentence with the comfort of knowing that, caring hands in the person of AFIFA, have stepped in to nurture their, otherwise disadvantaged children.CAREX-CON’s program serve as Ambassadors of Change in the community and prison systems, deterring crime and radicalization.
BENEFICIARIES
The following are CAREX-CON’s beneficiaries:
- Host community members enrolled in the vocational school
- Ex-convicts enrolled in its transition facility.
- Children of prisoners serving their sentence
- Children from the host community
- Host community members employed at the complex.
- Ex-convicts successfully integrated into their community.
- Women seeking shelter and a safety
