By Gloria Egbi
Accra, Nov. 6, GNA – Mr Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, Executive Director of the Crime Check Foundation (CCF), has called for a national policy to facilitate the reintegration of former prisoners and address discrimination, unemployment and social exclusion.
He said many people who had completed their prison sentences continued to face stigma and rejection, limiting their opportunities to secure employment, rebuild their lives and contribute meaningfully to society.
Mr Kwarteng made the call at the 2026 National Returning Citizens Reintegration Conference in Accra, where he advocated a coordinated national framework to support former prisoners’ transition into society.
The conference was held on the theme: “Rebuilding Life After Prison: Effective Reintegration for a Better Society.”
Mr Kwarteng identified inadequate support systems, limited private-sector participation and the absence of a national database as major challenges undermining reintegration efforts.
He proposed the introduction of a National Ex-Convicts Reintegration Policy to strengthen collaboration among the Ghana Prisons Service, the Department of Social Welfare, relevant government ministries and the private sector.
Under the proposed policy, district-level reintegration committees would be established to receive, counsel and support people returning from prison.
Mr Kwarteng also recommended a national database to document the skills and needs of former prisoners, a review of aspects of the criminal records laws, and the establishment of a fund to support their training and employment.
He proposed replacing the term “ex-convicts” with “Returning Citizens” to reduce stigma and promote social inclusion.
Mr Kwarteng said the change would encourage society to recognise former prisoners as people capable of contributing to national development after serving their sentences.
“When you call a man an ex-convict, you chain him to his past. When you call him a returning citizen, you connect him to his future,” he said.
To illustrate the challenges confronting former prisoners, Mr Kwarteng cited the experiences of two individuals, Akosua Sarfoa and Alidu.
He said Sarfoa, who had completed her sentence and established a cooked-food business in the Eastern Region, continued to face rejection from some community members who refused to patronise her business because of her past.
Alidu, who pursued further education while in prison and graduated with First Class Honours through a distance-learning programme at the University of Cape Coast, was also struggling to secure employment because prospective employers required police clearance certificates.
Mr Kwarteng said the experiences demonstrated the difficulties former prisoners faced in accessing economic opportunities despite efforts to reform and acquire employable skills while in custody.
As part of efforts to address the challenges, he announced two initiatives being undertaken by the CCF to support returning citizens.
The first, known as the New Beginning Village, would provide counselling, skills training and other support services to help former prisoners adjust to life after incarceration.
He said land had already been secured for the project, which would also facilitate links between former prisoners and industries seeking skilled workers.
The second initiative, the Employ One Ex-Convict Campaign, seeks to encourage businesses to employ former prisoners through a proposed arrangement under which 50 per cent of their salaries would be supported.
Mr Kwarteng appealed to the Government, development partners, private businesses and individuals to support the initiatives to improve the reintegration process.
He commended Rabotec Group of Companies and Bawa Rock for supporting the conference.
The conference brought together government representatives, traditional and religious leaders, international organisations, legal practitioners and other stakeholders to deliberate on measures to improve the reintegration of former prisoners into society.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey