By Issa Hussein - Reporter
Kenya, 19 June 2026 - The State Department for Correctional Services is exploring the adoption of innovative offender rehabilitation approaches, including a globally recognised restorative justice model from Brazil, as part of efforts to transform Kenya's correctional system.
Speaking during a capacity-building workshop for senior Kenya Prisons Service officers on the Association for the Protection and Assistance of Convicts (APAC) restorative justice prison model, Correctional Services Principal Secretary Dr Salome Beacco said the government is committed to building a correctional system that is secure, humane, accountable and focused on rehabilitation.
Dr Beacco said changing realities within the correctional sector require continuous review and adoption of approaches that place human dignity, personal responsibility and community involvement at the centre of rehabilitation efforts.
"The APAC Methodology has earned international recognition as a correctional model that seeks to recover the offender while preserving public safety and upholding the rule of law. The model is founded on principles of human dignity, accountability, discipline, work, education, spirituality, family involvement and community participation," she said.
The Principal Secretary noted that the objective of examining innovative rehabilitation models is to identify best practices that can be adapted and integrated into Kenya's correctional framework while remaining aligned with the country's constitutional, legal, social and cultural context.
She expressed concern over the continued challenge of recidivism, saying repeat offending places significant pressure on correctional institutions, contributes to prison congestion and undermines rehabilitation gains.
Commissioner General of Prisons Patrick Aranduh welcomed the initiative, saying the Kenya Prisons Service remains open to adopting proven rehabilitation concepts from other countries.
He said the service is keen to learn from successful international experiences that can help improve offender rehabilitation outcomes and reduce reoffending rates.
Denio Marques of the Brazilian Fraternity of Assistance to Convicts said the APAC model has transformed offender rehabilitation in Brazil by promoting restorative justice and strengthening social reintegration.
According to Marques, the approach has contributed to safer communities, lower recidivism rates, reduced pressure on prisons, stronger family ties and improved rehabilitation outcomes for offenders.
The State Department for Correctional Services is implementing the initiative in partnership with stakeholders including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the AVSI Foundation.
The partners are training officers from the Kenya Prisons Service and the Probation and Aftercare Service on the APAC methodology ahead of plans to pilot the rehabilitation approach in Kenya.
Officials say the pilot programme is expected to provide insights into how the model can complement existing rehabilitation strategies and support broader reforms aimed at promoting successful reintegration of offenders into society.
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