Prison Service to commercialize vocational services of inmates

Ho, Feb. 14, GNA - The Ghana Prison Service will in the next few months inaugurate its commercial units to sell its expertise to the public. Mr Ben Quaye, Director of Prisons in charge of Technical Services, who announced this at a "pulling-off" ceremony in Ho on Thursday, said services such as sewing, carpentry, block moulding and bakery, among others, would be made available to the public. The ceremony was held in honour of Mr Eric Leo Nordor, Deputy Director of Prison Services who is retiring after 35 years' service. Mr Quaye said the decision to establish a commercial unit in the Service had become necessary to create wealth for inmates and officers. "The focus has moved from keeping inmates in safe custody to making them productive to themselves and the nation," he said. Mr Quaye said both officers and inmates would be given skills and orientation to go into high time production to meet and satisfy customer demands.

The Director said workshops being used by inmates would be expanded and equipped and called on officers to prepare adequately to take advantage of the initiative. He described Mr Nordor as hardworking, whose service had impacted positively on the Service and urged other officers to emulate the retiring officer's good examples. In brief remarks, Mr Nordor advised the officers to make loyalty, hard work and honesty their watchwords in order to succeed in life. He asked them not to consider transfers as punishments.