Kenya, like many nations across the world, is confronting a growing concern over the reintegration of former offenders. Thousands of men and women are released each year into conditions that often push them back into crime.

While a prison sentence may legally end at the gate, for many ex-offenders, life outside marks the beginning of a new sentence, just without the handcuffs or the prison uniform.

Former inmates often return to communities where they have lost essential resources and social support. Many seem to face deep stigma as they navigate strained family relationships. 

“Well, when I was in prison, people stopped visiting me after the third year,” says Oyieke, a Busia resident who now lives alone in Mukuru Kayaba Slums after serving a 10-year sentence. He says he chose not to return home immediately after his release. “One day I will go back home maybe, but for now I just chose this,” he explains.

Others leave prison carrying layers of trauma, poverty and sometimes addiction, yet with no access to psychological or social support to help them rebuild their lives.

Not to justify their past actions, but in a country with limited employment opportunities and ongoing stigma, some feel compelled to return to crime as a basic means of survival. This cycle fuels recidivism and places community stability at risk.

Several former prisoners describe this transition as “a second sentence.” A sentence that begins after prison and extends far beyond the courtroom.

It is a sentence that pushes many back into crime simply to survive. The issue has increasingly become both a social and security concern, draining national resources and of course disrupting community stability.

A Solution from Within.

In response to this issue, the Re4mist Organization, founded by former inmates, has partnered with The Way to Happiness Foundation to introduce a behavior-change program targeted at individuals exiting the correctional system.

The initiative seeks to strengthen moral responsibility and emotional resilience among offenders before and after release.

The program uses structured guidance based on a set of principles that have been widely applied in rehabilitation programs globally.

Sessions take place during prison visits and are integrated into pre-release preparation, with ongoing follow-up support provided after release to ensure continuity and reinforce positive outcomes.

Re4mist says the approach is designed to equip individuals with values and coping mechanisms that can help reduce reoffending and support successful community reintegration.

The organization also plans to establish a halfway home where former inmates can receive short-term accommodation and reintegration coaching before resuming independent life.

According to the organization, the planned facility will serve as a transition space to help ex-offenders adjust to life outside prison, providing access to social support, counselling and livelihood guidance.

The goal is to reduce the immediate vulnerability of newly released individuals, particularly those with no family or social networks to receive them.

Rehabilitation as a National Priority

The partnership reflects a shift in how rehabilitation is viewed within the justice system. The goal is to move away from punishment alone and toward community safety through constructive reintegration.

It embodies the idea that reducing recidivism is a social responsibility with direct implications for national security and not just a criminal justice objective.

By working with former inmates to rebuild their lives, both organizations hope to strengthen rehabilitation efforts within the country and contribute to a safer society.

As Re4mist’s founders emphasize, the initiative is driven by the belief that those who have served their sentences should be given a fair opportunity to rebuild their futures and that supporting them ultimately benefits the wider community.