By Naa Shormei Odonkor
Kumasi, July 6, GNA – Deputy Director of Prisons, Hannah Hilda Ewoame, the Officer-In-Charge of the Manhyia Local Prison, has urged the public to refrain from stigmatising ex-convicts and support their reintegration into society.
She noted that such welcoming act could boost their self-esteem and encourage them to engage in productive ventures rather than returning to their old habits that took them to prison.
DDP Ewoame told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview during a visit to the Manhyia Local Prison to observe their rehabilitation process through skills development.
She lamented how society shunned the genuine hard work of ex-convicts, pushing them back into crimes that could potentially take them back to prison.
“I have met quiet a number of inmates who have been discharged and when I asked them what they do, they say, “Nothing.”
This is because despite equipping them with the necessary skills to set up their own business, the society refused to patronize them, she told the GNA.
DDP Ewoame noted that, in some cases, families of ex-convicts refused to provide financial support for them to start businesses based on the skills acquired during incarceration.
She encouraged families and the public to support the reintegration of ex-convicts into society, embracing them as renewed individuals ready to start afresh.
The Manhyia Local Prison currently holds 165 inmates who are being trained in tailoring, shoe making, beading works, Kente weaving, electronic repairs, as well as poultry and catfish farming.
The prison receives orders from both civilians and security personnel for products such as Kente, footwear, clothing, beadwork, and more.
DDP Ewoame noted that these items were crafted by both inmates and officers, with a strong emphasis on quality.”
“We are ready to take contracts from individuals and institutions to make clothes, uniforms, Kente, repair electrical appliances and others,” she stated.
The contracts, DDP Ewoame indicated, would contribute to generating funds to support the welfare of the inmates and provide other materials needed for the prison.
The Ghana Prisons Service is mandated to ensure safe custody, welfare, reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates.
GNA
Edited by Yussif Ibrahim/Christian Akorlie