The Role of Staff Training in Building Rehabilitation Capacity in Kenya Prisons

Abstract

This study examines the effectiveness of staff training on prisoners’ rehabilitation within the Kenya Prisons Service (KPS), against the backdrop of ongoing institutional efforts to strengthen rehabilitation outcomes. Despite these investments, there is limited empirical evidence on how staff training influences prisoner rehabilitation in Kenya, creating a need to assess the adequacy of training for chaplains and prison officers involved in rehabilitation programmes. The study adopted a descriptive research design and used both primary and secondary data. It was guided by Mugambi’s Reconstruction Theology and Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory, which provided a framework for understanding the role of staff training in rehabilitation. The target population was 4,178, from which a sample of 290 respondents was selected using proportionate sampling. Purposive sampling identified key informants, stratified random sampling selected prison staff, and snowball sampling was used to reach less accessible prisoners. Data were collected using questionnaires for chaplains and officers, interview schedules for priests, Protestant ministers, and religious leaders, and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with recidivists and prisoners. Quantitative data were processed using descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages, and the results were displayed in tables, pie charts, and graphs. Qualitative data were examined thematically and used to support and enrich the quantitative findings. Data were cleaned, validated, and processed using SPSS to ensure accuracy and consistency. The study concludes that structured methodological procedures provided reliable evidence on staff training and rehabilitation. It recommends intensified staff training to enhance professionalism and competency in prisoner rehabilitation. It further recommends that the Kenya Prisons Service institutionalise staff training through clear policy frameworks to support sustainable rehabilitation outcomes.