Sekondi Prison gets block-moulding factory

Sekondi, Dec. 1, GNA - The Prisons Ministry of Ghana would soon acquire land across the country and establish resettlement homes for former prisoners.

They would be housed in the resettlement homes for a year before they are allowed to go to their families for easy integration.

The Rev Dr Chris Hesse, the Executive Director of the Prisons Ministry of Ghana, said this at the inauguration of a third block factory for the prisons in the Western Region.

He said Sunyani and Ho have benefited from similar factories and it is to assist the inmates to acquire some skills, improve the internally generated funds of the prisons and create employment for other youths.

Rev. Dr Hesse said the inmates must be assisted to become self-reliant, productive and live more responsible lives after their sentences.

He said by 2008, all male prisons in Ghana would have block-moulding factories while bakeries in the various women's prisons would also be enhanced.

Rev. Dr Hesse suggested that the prisons authorities must set up a management group to run both the bakery and the block factory on commercial basis.

He expressed regret that out of the 1,500 inmates released on amnesty by the government last year almost all of them were back in prison due to neglect by their families and a rejection by society. Dr Peter K. Quist, the Chairman of the Prisons Ministry, said the improper planning of family sizes had also led to the increases on prison inmates.

Mr. Rami Baitie, the Corporate Affairs Manager of Ecobank Ghana, said the bank provided 40 million cedis for the construction of the factory.

He said Ecobank would continue to support the ministry in any future activities.