Muslims for Human Rights
The goal of MUHURI's Access to Justice: Prisons Reform Project is to enhance access to justice for remand (pretrial) prisoners and promote human rights in prisons.
The main target group is remandees because of their vulnerability. The Prisons Reforms Project was established in November 2005 as a pilot project at Shimo la Tewa Main and Women's prisons.
In February 2007 MUHURI expanded its project to Kilifi and Malindi Main and Women's Prisons. In 2008 the Project was extended to cover the juvenile remand homes in Likoni and Malindi while in June 2009 MUHURI opened offices in Hindi, Voi, Kaloleni and Kwale prisons.
The objectives of the project are to:
- educate remandees on their legal rights
- train paralegals on basic law
- facilitate the coordination of access to justice actors including the judiciary, police and probation officers
- educate warders on human rights
- monitor the human rights situation at the prison.
The activities of the project include the training of paralegals, the training of Prison Warders, providing Paralegal Legal Clinics (PLCs), tracing relatives and follow-ups, human rights monitoring in prisons criminal justice stakeholder meetings, and recreation activities for inmates.
In the implementation of this project MUHURI collaborates with Kenyan Judiciary, State law office/ Attorney General’s office, Kenya Police, Police Prosecution, Prisons' Department, Probation Department, Children’s Department, and Kenya Wildlife.
Through its activities, MUHURI assisted in the decongestion of prisons. MUHURI also successfully advocated for and introduced the idea of an alternatives to remand and custodial sentences, including personal surety bonds, Community Service Orders (CSO) and Probation in Malindi and Kilifi districts.
MUHURI (Muslims for Human Rights)
Haki House
General Mathenge Road
P.O. Box 42261, 80100
Mombasa, Kenya
Tel/Fax: 254-41-2315607/8
E-mail: info@muhuri.org