Effectiveness of Counseling Services on Rehabilitation amongst Non-Custodial Offenders in Nairobi County, Kenya
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Date
2015
Authors
Masese, Monyenche Pamela
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
n Kenya today, the major threat to development is insecurity and a lot of resources have
been used in implementing counseling services to reduce crime rate and enhance
security. The Department of Probation and Aftercare service is a criminal justice agency
which is mandated to rehabilitate, reintegrate and resettle offenders in the community. It
has over 500 Probation officers who have been trained in Psychological Counseling so as
to use counseling services in the rehabilitation of non custodial offenders. However
statistics available in the department indicate a high rate of absconders and re-offenders.
This study therefore, sought to evaluate the effectiveness of counseling services on
rehabilitation of non-custodial offenders in the department of Probation and Aftercare
service with the aim of providing evidence to guide future therapeutic interventions and
rehabilitation programs. It specifically focused on evaluating the effectiveness of
individual, group and family counseling services on offender rehabilitation. The study
population was 402 which included 372 offenders and all the 30 Probation officers in the
four stations of Nairobi. Stratified random sampling was used to select 102 offenders and
all the 30 Probation Officers were involved hence the total respondents were 132. The
study utilized descriptive research design. Questionnaires were used to collect data
which was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings provided empirical
evidence useful in prioritizing areas of counseling services to enhance effective offender
rehabilitation. On effectiveness of individual counseling service on rehabilitation of noncustodial
offenders, the study revealed that 96% of the non-custodial offenders
undergoing counseling indicated that the individual counseling services had impacted on
their beliefs, feelings and behavior. Most of the respondents rated the linkage between
group therapy sessions and their beliefs, feelings and behaviour change as high (mean
score=2.27). Further, the study revealed that family counseling services is critical in the
success of the rehabilitation process of the offenders serving non-custodial sentences as
most of the probationers rated the relevance of family sessions in their rehabilitation as
fair (mean=2.46). In addition, 88.9% of the respondents felt that family psycho-social
support impacted on offender rehabilitation and crime control. Finally, the study revealed
that 83.6%, 61.2% and 65.7% of the offenders undergoing various forms of counseling
stated that they have reformed, empowered and progressed respectively. However, the
stl.i@yalso revealed that the frequency of meetings between probationers and probation
officers was not regular. The study also revealed that the offenders do not have the
relevant skills to enable them to be self-reliant economically and socially. On the basis of
these findings the study has made recommendations for improvement. The study
recommended regular interaction between the probation officers and probationers at least
on weekly basis to ensure proper monitoring of the progress of offenders in reintegrating
into the society through counseling services. It is proposed that more attendance centres
be opened at the sub- location level and introduce mobile offices with aid from special
support fund to probationers who are assessed to be of low risk. The probation officers
should be considered for specialized professional development to enhance their
competence in providing counseling services. To meet further supervision and cost
challenges, it is recommended that private service providers be licensed to complement
on government efforts in the rehabilitation, and reintegration of offenders. Finally, the
government should come up with a clear training policy which will ensure that proper
structures are in place for the proper training for all the offenders serving non-custodial
sentences. This will see to it that the offenders acquire proper skills which can help them
secure employment or become self-employed for self-sustenance.
Description
A Research Project Submitted to the School of Humanities and Social Sciences in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Masters of Art in Counseling Psychology of Kenyatta University, October, 2015