The Nexus Between Acquitted Remandees' Personal Characteristics and Their Reintegration in Kakamega County, Kenya

Abstract

Remandee characteristics play a major role in reintegration back into the community. Some of these characteristics are either dynamic or static and these include; gender, age when the individual was arrested, educational level, religious affiliations, history of involvement in crime, social environment and the set of skills that the individual possesses. According to Nelson Mandela Rules, treatment programmes that are domiciled in carceral institutions are only effective when based on proper diagnosis and individual assessment of the offender and his or her situation. This study sought to investigate the nexus between Acquitted remandees' personal characteristics and their reintegration in Kakamega County, Kenya. The study was underpinned in the Labelling theory and Social Learning theory. The study adopted a descriptive survey design employing a mixed methods of data collection. Stratified random sampling technique was used to obtain acquitted remandees while purposive sampling was used to obtain Prison Officers, Probation Officers, Assistant Chiefs and Community members who took part in the study as key informants. A sample of 400 acquitted remandees was selected from a population of 1,427 using Yamane's sample apportionment formula. In addition, 5 Senior Prison Officers responsible for remandee containment at Kakamega Main and Kakamega women Prisons, 4 officers in charge of Probation stations in Kakamega County, 8 community members and 8 assistant chiefs from Sub-Locations with the highest number of returning remandees in Kakamega County were included in the study as key informants. Study data were collected using a questionnaire for acquitted remandees, interviews schedule for Prison Officers and Probation Officers and Focus Group Discussions for community members and Assistant Chiefs. Statistically quantitative data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 28 for windows. Findings of the study revealed that remandee personal characteristics were significantly related to the reintegration of acquitted remandees in Kakamega county, Kenya (r=0.525; P<0.05). A recommendation was made based on the study findings that an inventory of the released remandees' training level, skills, abilities, and preferences be prepared, periodically updated, and shared with potential support organizations to facilitate successful reintegration upon release from remand. Linear regression between personal characteristics and reintegration of acquitted remandees revealed a coefficient of determination (R 2 ) of 0.285 implying that 28.5% of the variance in the reintegration of acquitted remandees in Kakamega County was a result of their personal characteristics. Keywords: Acquitted Remandees, Personal Characteristics. Reintegration DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/124-06 Publication date: September 30 th 2022