English

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to assess quality of pottery products produced in Kenyan prisons. The quality of products produced in Kenyan prisons shows lack of standardization. Descriptive research design guided the study. The study areas were Lang’ata and Kisii women prisons with a population of 480 respondents. Purposive sampling technique was used to sample 30 inmates who engage in pottery, thus leaving a total of 450 non-potter inmates who were sampled by use of Krejcie and Morgan’s table. The findings revealed that although pottery products are appreciated by the inmates, majority of inmates do not take part in pottery. The number of elderly inmate potters was low compared to other groups yet the elderly were the ones who passed the skills to the younger generation in the larger society. It was therefore concluded that quality of pottery in prisons exhibited low standard craftsmanship with poor rendition of skills. The study recommended that authorities concerned with prison should work towards promoting the sector by eradicating the negative attitude of the inmates by improving pottery facilities in prisons and incorporate variety of methods and media in order to improve on the products’ aesthetic character. Improvement on facilities may encourage more inmates into pottery, thus assist a large number of inmates to cope with prison environment and reintegration. Key words: Inmates, pottery, prison, products, quality, women.