Bwanasafi, Muhesi Arsene2024-08-052024-08-052024-06https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/28591A Project Submitted to the School of Law, Arts and Social Sciences of Kenyatta University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Security Management and Policing Studies. June, 2024 Supervisor George OyombraMany countries around the world are confronted with the challenge of recidivism. Recidivism has become a global phenomenon that challenges the efficiency of both criminal justice systems and security systems. One of the most important measures of the efficiency of prison programs is the reduction of recidivism rate. Meant to rehabilitate convicts, prisons play an important role within the criminal justice. By exploring multi-factorial dynamics of criminal recidivism in Munzenze prison, this study is a package of knowledge and solution on personal, institutional, and societal risk factors of criminal recidivism in Munzenze prison. The following objectives guided this study; to investigate personal factors that influence criminal recidivism in Munzenze prison; to examine institutional factors contributing to criminal relapse of offenders in Munzenze prison, and to interrogate societal factors contributing to criminal recidivism in Munzenze prison. The study was guided by reformation theory of punishment to analyze institutional factors which may cause recidivism, labeling theory of crime to explain societal factors that may be responsible recidivism, and social learning theory to analyze individual factors. This study adopted Exploratory Sequential design using mixed method approach. The target population consisted of 1089 recidivists in Munzenze Prison, Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The target population also included prison officers, religious leaders and civil actors. A sample of 100 recidivists was drawn for questionnaires and focus group discussions, while prison officers, religious leaders and civil actors participated as key informants. Questionnaires, focus group discussions guides, and key informant interviews schedules were used as data collection instruments. Qualitative data was thematically analyzed using content analysis and presented as quoted verbatim. While quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented using percentages, tables, average and mean, and pie charts. The study found that institutional, societal and individual factors played a critical role in recidivism. The study concluded that lack of prison rehabilitation program in Munzenze, unemployment, ineffective reintegration and stigmatization were important determinants of recidivism. Additionally, the study recommends addressing the institutional, societal and individual issues that fuel recidivism. As a result, this study offers important new insights into the complex problem of criminal recidivism in Munzenze prison and offers a strategy for overcoming this urgent issue. It also emphasizes the crucial role that rehabilitation and societal support play in ending the cycle of repeat offending.enThesis