Your urgent help is needed! You can make a transformational impact on justice in Kenya. We have just returned from Mombasa where we recruited 34 dedicated people from the maximum security, medium security and women’s prisons who are eager to become paralegals and support access to justice for their fellow inmates. We are preparing to launch our intensive paralegal training within the walls of the prisons in January. In order to launch our first cohort and bring the proven prison paralegal model to the Kenyan coast, we need your help.

We are in urgent need of $20,000 USD (Kenya Shillings 2.5M) to support the following:

-        Basic renovations (for example, paint and electricity) for the rooms within the prisons that will become the paralegals’ legal offices

-        Equipment for the paralegal offices (desktop computers and printers)

-        An experienced legal advocate to provide support and mentorship to the paralegals after the training

-        Meals for trainees during the training

-        Basic accommodation for our expert trainers to run the intensive paralegal training program

This peer-to-peer legal aid model empowers those in prison to assist their fellow inmates with their legal matters and appeals, under the supervision of a qualified lawyer. Without the support of our paralegals, men and women in prison - the majority of whom are pre-trial and therefore legally innocent under the Kenyan constitution - are likely to languish in prison without anyone to defend them. This is the only legal counsel many inmates will ever get, and data shows that prison paralegals have an outsized impact: each paralegal on average works on 96 cases per year, securing release for 32 individuals. Armed with legal education, they also identify systemic rights violations and fight for remedies through the courts. The average prison population is 60,000 of whom 60% are on pre-trial detention.

Our team at Justice Nest has deep expertise running paralegal training and legal education in the prisons, and is energized to replicate this winning model across Kenya. We have secured buy-in from the prison administrators in Mombasa to move this forward. The up-front costs we are fundraising for are essential to the launch of our paralegal program, which is a core pillar of our work to ensure access to justice for vulnerable families and individuals in Kenya.

At Justice Nest, we aim to protect and restore families in contact with the justice system, focusing on women, children, and prisoners. Please consider Justice Nest as part of your end-of-year giving and learn more at [www.justicenest.org](https://justicenest.org/)

Transform access to justice Kenya Prison paralegal training

Justice Nest vision is to Advance a fair, family-centric and accessible justice system in Kenya.

Justice Nest is a newly registered charity (MARCH 2024). The founder is an experienced Kenyan advocate who has worked in the non-profit for over 17 years focusing on child rights, women's right, human rights and access to Justice. While working in the system, she witnessed the effect of the justice system on families and has decided to step in to prevent further family disintegration by the justice system.

Justice Nest is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring access to justice for vulnerable families and individuals in Kenya. We aim to protect and restore families in contact with the justice system, focusing on women, children, and prisoners. Justice Nest is a family-centered, holistic justice non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and restoring families in contact with the justice system.  **Our mission is to transform the justice system and strengthen families by promoting policies and practices that reduce reliance on incarceration.** We provide legal education, holistic representation and advocate for community-based alternatives to prosecution through partnerships. We advocate for restorative and holistic justice, ensuring that vulnerable populations receive the support and resources they need to thrive. We envision a society where the justice system prioritizes the well-being of families, actively interrupting the cycle of family disintegration and preventing the pipeline to prison.

At Justice Nest, we recognize the complexity of the justice system and its role in perpetuating family disintegration and poverty. Our **Mother and Children Restorative justice program** aim to address the root causes that lead women and children into conflict with the law, such as poverty, trauma, and lack of familial support. By working closely with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the judiciary, we advocate for alternatives to prosecution and provide pathways for rehabilitation and reintegration.

Our **Prison paralegal program** seeks to bridge the justice gap.  Access to legal representation is a fundamental right, yet many prisoners in Kenya face significant barriers in obtaining adequate legal assistance. 90% of those in prison do not have access to legal services. To put it in perspective, with a prison population of over 55,000, about 50,000 of those barely have hope that they will leave the system. This problem is multifaceted and involves issues of availability, affordability, and systemic inefficiencies. There is no office of public defenders in Kenya to meet the demand at the state level. A majority of lawyers are based in urban areas, making it difficult for prisoners in rural regions to access legal help. "*The ratio of lawyers to the population in Kenya is alarmingly low, especially in rural areas where legal services are almost non-existent.*" - Law Society of Kenya





Justice Nest

1048940678

We are a nonprofit, so instead of charging fees we rely on the generosity of donors like you.

Choose a donation for Every.org

1258415673

1435915265

1737023302

1807908542

2074652487

2360520245

240751341

2516130445

2547000601

2624895975

2883383521

339774024

3605944885

3755280456

3794356679

3797661376

3868271524

3884515653

410756082

496574456

579816602

761293274

772217036

2729980760

3440869557

671754822

1014384873

1112422858

153399038

2028390811

203088037

220342792

2266630408

2456389719

2519810400

2539558839

2826465835

2843798242

2898624300

2916352438

3259439560

3583328878

3642494300

3902459442

4054861980

4136002033

4177183036

4250940449

585491400

641510716

91682487

Transform access to justice Kenya Prison paralegal training

Justice Nest

Donors

Justice Nest