Eighty percent of Ghana's prisoners between 18 and 35 years

Ho May 2, GNA - About 80 percent of prison inmates in Ghana are between the ages of 18 and 35, according to the recent annual report of the Ghana Prisons Service.

He said prisoners between 18 to 25 years formed 51.8 percent of inmates in the prisons. Air Marshal John Asamoah Bruce, Chairman of the Prisons Service Council, said these at the inauguration of the Volta Regional Prisons Committee, in Ho on Friday. He said the Council was worried that the majority of prisoners in Ghana were people in their prime, who should be contributing to national development.

Air Marshal Bruce said "To make matters worse, due to acute lack of resources, the Service is unable to offer meaningful skills training for these inmates. Prison ought to aim at achieving much more than just taking custody of prisoners". He said the Council would work hard to address problems facing the Ghana Prisons Service.

Mr. Joseph Amenowode, Volta Regional Minister, who is Chairman of the Committee, recommended the establishment of a prison in the southern sector of the region as the Fort serving as the only prison there was destroyed by sea waves. Other members are: Mr. Amm Sarni, the Regional Commander of Prisons, Miss Comfort Tasiame, representative of Attorney-General' Office, Mr. Obed Ababio, Regional representative of the Ghana Bar Association, and Dr. Timothy Letsa, Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service. The rest are Dr Hillarious Asiwome Kwasi Abiwu, Regional representative of the Ghana Medical Association, Mr. Barnabas B. Adjin, Regional Director of Social Welfare, Okoforobour Kwame Asante II, representative of Regional House of Chiefs and Reverend Monsignor Anthony Kofi Kornu, representative of religious bodies.