By Morkporkpor Anku
Accra, Nov. 05, GNA – The Ghana Prisons Service and the Legal Aid Commission have called for stronger employment, legal and community support for people returning to society after serving prison sentences.
They made the call at the maiden National Returning Citizens Conference, organised by the Crime Check Foundation in Accra, on the theme: “Rebuilding Life After Prison: Effective Reintegration for a Better Society.”
Mr Bob Dery, the Director of Prisons in charge of Operations and Facility Management, said rehabilitation and reintegration had become central to modern prison management, alongside custody and security.
He said inmates received vocational training in carpentry, masonry, tailoring, welding, leatherwork, electrical installation and plumbing, as well as agricultural training, formal education, counselling and behavioural change support.
Mr Dery said many inmates left prison with skills and renewed hope, but often faced stigma, rejection by employers and landlords, and limited acceptance from families and communities.
He said recidivism was not solely a criminal justice issue, but also a societal challenge requiring collective responsibility.
“Only society can reintegrate offenders and the government, traditional leaders, businesses, faith communities, families and the public to support returning citizens,” he said.
Recidivism is a person’s relapse into criminal behavior or repeating an undesirable behavior after receiving sanctions, convictions, or correctional interventions for a prior offense. It is typically measured by tracking rearrests, reconvictions, or returns to incarceration over a specific follow-up period.
Mr Dery described the “Employ One Returning Citizen” campaign as a practical initiative and urged employers to consider qualified former inmates for jobs, apprenticeships and internships.
He said employing a returning citizen was not charity, but an investment in public safety, productivity and national development.
He also called for a national reintegration policy to coordinate employment support, skills recognition, housing assistance, family reunification and post-release supervision.
Mr Edmund Amarkwei Folly, the Executive Director of the Legal Aid Commission, said returning citizens often faced legal and economic barriers, including difficulties obtaining police clearance, securing accommodation and accessing business registration or permits.
He said legal assistance after release was essential to help people protect their rights and navigate processes needed to establish businesses, obtain loans and secure livelihoods.
Mr Folly said the Commission was providing free legal services at the conference and called for reform of laws and practices that unfairly discriminated against people who had served their sentences.
He said access to justice beyond prison bars meant that society should offer opportunities, rather than impose a second punishment, after a person had paid their debt to society.
The Executive Director said the Commission was ready to partner with the Crime Check Foundation and other stakeholders to support reintegration and protect the rights of returning citizens.
He urged employers and communities to help returning citizens rebuild their lives, saying successful reintegration could strengthen public safety and contribute to national development.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Morkporkpor Anku
Email: [email protected]