Prisons to ensure reformation of inmates

Accra, July 26, GNA - The Prisons Service has initiated a project to improve the poor prison conditions and ensure effective reformation of inmates to re-integrate them into society.

The initiative dubbed; "Prisons Reformation and Rehabilitation Project" was the vision of Goodies Music Foundation, a music production company to raise a target of GH cedi 500,000 (five billion cedis) to commercialise agriculture activities and products manufactured by the inmates to generate resources for the Service.

Briefing the media in Accra on Thursday, Mr Frank Ocran, Member of the Prisons Council, said the Service had been constrained financially as a result of insufficient government budgetary allocation, making it difficult to effectively carry out its functions.

He said it was in that light that the Foundation was supporting the Service to raise funds through musical shows and direct appeals, since the passage of the Prisoner Transfer Act called for immediate measures to improve prison conditions.

He stated that the enactment of the Retention Act, which allowed for the retention of 60 per cent of the internal generated funds, had also tasked the Service to generate more funds.

.. Mr Ocran identified lack of appropriate structures to house prisoners, lack of well-equipped workshops to train prisoners, lack of support for discharged inmates and inadequate training and motivation for officers as major challenges facing the Service.

He therefore appealed to corporate bodies, the private sector and civil society organisations to support the initiative with funds, saying "this will go a long way in addressing the rising crime wave and create a congenial environment for investment and economic stability.

Mr Isaac Abeidu Aidoo, Chief Executive Officer of Goodies Foundation said the organisation saw the need to also engage inmates in the Ghana at 50 celebrations, by providing them with hope and drawing public attention to their plight.

He said the project would therefore use recreational and social activities to entertain them and educate society against stigmatising them.

He said the project was also aimed at upgrading vocational training provided to inmates so that their agricultural department could produce enough for their feeding demands and export.

Mr Hayford Okpoti Korney, Deputy Director in-charge of Administration also called for collaboration among the Judiciary and the Police Service to solve the problem of overcrowding in the prisons. Alhaji Sidiku Buari, President of the MUSIGA pledged the Association's support to use music to change public perception on inmates and provide them with hope.