By Timothy Mugo

Prisons are correctional facilities which mould prisoners to view the world in a better way making them lead morally upright and be law abiding citizens, a prison’s official has said.

Chief inspector of prisons Damaris Ombaso dismissed the notion that prisons were places where individuals were tortured saying that that wouldn’t be possible even before the law.

“I want to dispute what members of the public believe as prisons being places where those convicted are tortured. It is not true,” Ombaso quipped.

She added, “This is a correctional facility where we teach the prisoners and mould them; helping them lead a better life.”

The Chief Inspector said the prisoners were subjected to different art works such as knitting, making handcrafts among other artistic works.

“The prisoners are taught those various subjects depending on the nature and length of their sentence,” she quipped.

However, prisoners also sided with the management in denouncing public notion that prison was a bad place.

A university student who hails from Homa Bay and is held at the prison said, “This place is not bad a place as I used to hear people say. The people I have met here and the teachings have made me view the world in a better perspective.”

The Chief Inspector was speaking at Migori Women prison as they held an early marking of the International Women’s day on Sunday.

The inmates had a glorious church service in the morning before they had time to mingle with their family members who had been invited to the function of its kind.

Ombasa said they settled on Sunday as it was the only day all inmates could get a chance to reunite with their loved ones.

“Sunday was the best day for such an occasion because most people are usually committed during weekdays and this could deny most inmates the chance to meet their loved ones,” Ombaso added.

She urged members of the public to warmly welcome and not view as enemies, those who had finished serving their terms and help them get up on their feet.

“Those who get out of prison are changed people and members of the public should help them start or pick up from where they had left before they were held behind bars,” Ombas0 quipped.

Migori women prison is the only female prison in South Nyanza region.