The Built Environment of Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, Nairobi: Implications for Rehabilitation and Psychological Well-being

Abstract

This article explores the built environment of Kamiti Maximum Security Prison in Nairobi, Kenya, analyzing its spatial layout, architectural features, and their impact on the psychological well-being of inmates. Building surveys, guided by a structured observation checklist were used to evaluate the physical characteristics of the built environment, while a semi-structured questionnaire was used to study inmates’ perception of the built environment. 250 respondents, drawn from the inmates’ population participated in the study. Descriptive correlational analysis was used to relate the in-mates’ subjective views to the presiding physical characteristics of the built environment. The study findings identified the constructed environment as the sovereign contributor of psychological dis-tress, with significant variation with age, which added 0.016 variance, while length of imprison-ment and marital status had insignificant variation at 0.007 and 0.001 respectively. Both the inade-quate infrastructure and the deficient design of spatial layouts, ward sizes and design, outdoor open spaces, training facilities and sensory environment were identified as the specific attributes of the built environment with significant impact on psychological wellbeing, with significance coefficients of 0.86, 1.84, 0.94, 2.12 and 1.27 respectively. The study thus concludes that the built environment at Kamiti Maximum Prison is driven by colonial punitive principles rather than modern rehabilita-tive strategies. The study highlights the deficiencies in Kamiti’s infrastructure and recommends a rehabilitative model that balances security and control; health and well-being; and rehabilitation and reintegration, thereby contributing to the growing discourse on therapeutic prison architecture