'We need to show love to prisoners so they don't come back hardened' - COP General Secretary

The General Secretary of Church of Pentecost (COP), Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi Larbi says the prison built at Ejura is not to encourage crimes as some people are speculating.

He said, the prison built would rather be used to transform inmates and rehabilitate them before they come out.

The facility, he also said, will help decongest the already packed prisons across the country.

The Church of Pentecost recently built and donated a prison infrastructure to the Ghana Prisons Service at Ejura in the Ashanti Region.

The fully furnished facility has three dormitory blocks with the capacity to accommodate 300 inmates.

It has an administration block, a chapel, which will also serve as a classroom, a football pitch, baptistery, modern washrooms, mechanized boreholes, offices, infirmary, workshops and other auxiliary facilities.

Speaking on Atinka TV’s morning show, hosted by Ekourba Gyasi Simpremu, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi Larbi said, "We are not expecting that this will make people commit more crimes, this will rather reduce wickedness, anyone who will go there will change by the time he comes out.”

He noted that some of the prisoners committed petty crimes like stealing fowls or goats but did not get anyone to pay for their fines and were therefore sent there, adding that if such people are not showed love, they would rather come out as hardened criminals.

“These are the things we want to balance in the system. If someone goes there and he is shown love, he will come back and reciprocate it to the society, he will come and live with people in love so no one should think we are using it to promote crimes, we are hoping that all those who will go there will come out as good people,” he said.