Rehabilitation of child inmates in North Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is one of the rare cases of extreme human rights violation in all spheres of life, the penitentiary facilities of the country are no exception. Inmates languish in pain and oftentimes remain without justice, dignity and respect of their rights. This study investigates the conditions of detention of child inmates in Munzenze Prison, and the extent to which introducing peace education in that correctional service could help transform those young offenders. It appears that child offenders come from communities where they have committed crimes and are in a situation where the relationships between them and these communities have been broken. The prison conditions where they find themselves are not conducive to preparing inmates to be reinserted within their respective communities. The study explores peace education programmes for juvenile inmates and their effectiveness to prepare inamates for better future life after prison life. The study was conducted in North Kivu province where data was collected from different stakeholders. The major aim of the study was to investigate life conditions behind bars and the needs that arise under those conditions. Two trends emerged as ways of dealing with criminal behaviours of youths and their delinquency in the DRC; those are incarceration and the National Service (NS) programme. While many youths and children are imprisoned in normal penitentiary facilities while others are sent to Kanyama Kasese NS where they receive vocational training to become productive in active life after their release. This second strategy appears to be the best alternative to imprisonment. The absence of a given educational scheme for child inmates in the Democratic Republic of Congo can compromise the smooth return of children into their communities and recuce recidivism. Three theories were used in this study: (1) peace education, (2) restorative justice and (3) the theory of change. These theories helped to understand the context of children’s delinquency and incarceration. They also demonstrate the extent to which they can serve as pathways to the rehabilitation and re-integration of child inmates into their communities while preparing them to become law-abiding citizens. Such programmes can inspire change in incarcerated children and prepare them for a bright future. The theoretical frameworks were evaluated as interventions within a qualitative participatory action research design. The research findings revealed that the main causes of children’s incarceration and being sent to prison are sexual abuse, stealing and murder. The results also unravel a critical lack of rehabilitation and reeducation programmes in correctional institutions in the DRC. Furthermore, the findings reveal that peace education mechanisms are needed in the prison’s settings, especially in the country. After the implementation of a suggested peace education programme and evaluation of its short-term evaluation, this thesis recommends and advocates the use of restorative justice, peace education and noational service as instruments of child inmates’ transformation and their social reinsertion. It is imperative to vulgarise these programmes across the country and substitute the inhumate incerceral conditions of children with reeducation services such as the national service.