Mr Leopold Ansah, Director (Technical) of Ghana Prisons Service (GPS), has appealed for assistance from benevolent organisations and individuals to help the GPS achieve its target of 25 million Ghana cedis per year.

The amount would help the GPS to implement its 10 year development plan of improving conditions in the prisons.

He said “we encourage every Ghanaian to donate at least one Ghana cedi per year through the short code 9050 to all networks to be able to improve upon the prevailing conditions in the country’s prisons.”

“Out of 43 prison facilities only three of them were actually constructed for use as prisons. The rest were abandoned warehouses and armouries of the West African Frontier Force, whilst others were abandoned structures of clinics, cocoa sheds, among others,” Mr Ansah said.

Mr Ansah, who made the appeal at the launch of Peaceful Solution Character Education Programme (PSCEP) for officers of the GPS, said these facilities were renovated and being used as prisons.

He said the GPS was responsible for the health care needs of inmates, adding “the GPS has introduced inmates to treatment programmes in order to help reclaim them from the path of criminality. The GPS has to help uplift and uphold the inmates worth and dignity as human beings.”

The GPS has to contend with the overcrowding situation and the myriad of challenges that come along with it.

Mr Patrick Missah, Deputy Director General, said PSCEP would mould the character of people and train them to discern good from wrong.

He said if prison inmates were given such training, they would tolerate other people, do away with abusive language, overcome anger and violence, crave for peace, learn to become productive and help make society cohesive and stable.

“If our inmates are guided to internalise these qualities they will surely overcome temptation and will not return to society to re-offend,” he added.

Mr Richard Wogodo, President of PSCEP, said PSCEP is a secular educational organisation seeking to enhance the lives of people by promoting peace through educational programmes and curricula designed to develop positive character.