Crime is complex and demands comprehensive solutions from criminal justice agencies and the public. The Probation Service in Kenya is one of the key Government agencies whose mandate is to rehabilitate offenders in the community. This contributes to crime reduction.

The history of probation service in Kenya dates back to 1943 when a series of commissions appointed by the colonial government recommended its establishment.

Notable among these was the Peterson Commission. Probation service as practised in Kenya today owes its origins from Britain when the probation ordinance was passed in 1943. Its actual commencement in Kenya was in 1946. In its formative stages, it was confined to Nairobi and predominantly dealt with juveniles and women offender; administratively, the department has over the years been under different ministries. Now it is in the vice president’s Office and Ministry of home Affairs. The services of the department have grown and expanded tremendously over the years the initial coverage of the capital Nairobi.

The department has a presence all over the country at all court stations owing to this growth and expansion, more Government programmes have been added to its operation The services are delivered through the headquarters in Nairobi, provinces, districts, division, courts, penal institutions and communities.

Probation officers rehabilitate those given community sentences and those received from penal institutions. They also enforce the conditions of court orders and also generate pre-sentence reports to courts for effective and fair sentencing of offenders. The officers provide information to penal institutions offenders’ backgrounds and identify workplaces for community service orders offenders.