USIU-Africa students hold donation drive at Kamiti Prison
By Mbaabu Kiaira
USIU-Africa held a donation drive at Kamiti Medium Security Prison on Friday, July 12. The visit was a joint project between the Psychology, Criminal Justice, and International Relations Departments in conjunction with Clean Start Africa, a non-profit that works with incarcerated women, girls, and children. The event was meant to give students a firsthand experience of the correctional system and shine a light on the benefits and drawbacks of the corrections system in Kenya.
After a thorough search, the students were allowed into the prison for a tour of the prison facilities. The students were divided into three groups for ease of movement and were instructed not to carry their phones into the prison or give items to the inmates. The students were eager to learn and asked a lot of questions about the prison and the corrections system. Some were surprised to find that conditions were not as dire as they expected, while others found the environment quite unbearable.
During the tour, the students visited the carpentry workshop, the kitchens, the clinic, the segregation ward (where former law enforcement officers, military personnel and psychologically challenged inmates live), the classroom, and the general wards where the inmates sleep.
At the clinic, the students got to know the procedures implemented when dealing with inmates’ health. The clinical officer answered questions relating to how they manage terminal illnesses, infectious diseases, and HIV/AIDS. The students were quite disappointed to hear that the prisons department does not provide preventative measures for HIV/AIDS (condoms) as homosexuality is illegal under the law.
The conditions in the prison were not ideal, but the inmates were doing their best with the resources available. The students were disappointed by the state of the classroom, which served four classes simultaneously. The library was sparsely-resourced and the computer room only had two outdated desktop computers. The students promised to donate books upon their next visit as they had only brought toiletries. The students met some of their intellectual counterparts including a published author. This highlighted the fact that one could end up in prison regardless of their academic qualifications or education level.
The prison was also quite overcrowded and most of the students were disappointed to learn that the inmates shared mattresses due to the lack of resources. The ward they visited had only one double-decker bed, reserved for trustee prisoners while the rest of the ward had mattresses on the floor and are shared by the inmates.
The inmates were welcoming and held a miniature talent show where they displayed their musical skills. They expressed their gratitude to the students and faculty for spending time with them and encouraged them to visit them again.
