A GNA News Feature by Kingsley Mamore
Kparekpare (O/R), Jul 6, GNA-A 30-year-old ex-convict has appealed to family members and the society at large to stop the stigmatisation of people, who have gone through the walls of the prison and accept them to complete their re-integration process in the communities.
He said many ex-convicts have suffered recidivism, a relapsed situation into prison for the failure of family and society to give them a second chance.
The global trend in prison design represents the philosophical direction of reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration.
Jacob Kwabre, who made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency called for a change of mindset towards ex-convicts to facilitate their reintegration and subsequent contribution to nation-building processes.
“Help us to reintegrate, change your mindset on ex-convicts, and stop judging us by our past mistakes.”
In 2021, Jacob was sentenced to two years imprisonment at Kete-Krachi for stealing.
He explained that he did not regret the time he spent in prison but instead, it was a turning point in his life and made lots of meaning to him after serving his sentence.
Life in prison
He admitted that life in jail was not a bed of roses but an eye-opener, which made him view life from a different perspective.
He said while in prison he went through counselling, and learnt skills such as farming, carpentry and many more.
Jacob said after completing his jail term, he was determined to show the whole community that his incarceration had changed him from the bad habit of stealing and wanted to venture into something that would make him a better person as he “doesn’t want the skills acquired while in jail go to waste.”
He said he started a farming project on a one-acre piece of land in the community, from where he supplied yam, about 200 tubers to the Kparekpare market weekly.
He said the farming project had occupied him and prevented him from loitering around to conceive any negative ideas.
The father of two noted that 100 tubers of yam ranged from the big size at GHC3,500, while the small size is sold at GHC2,500, from where he supported his family.
Converted Christian
Kwabre is now a staunch believer and a member of the Christian Assembly Church and did not allow his past mistakes to haunt and hinder his religious progress saying, “Throughout life’s trials, I will remain steadfast and persevere because I know I have a goal to attain.”
Kwabre’s bigger dream is to eventually venture into carpentry and manufacture furniture of all kinds including beds and wardrobes as a long-term project.
He said social reintegration becomes difficult due to societal stigmatisation, name-calling, finger-pointing and negative energies, which made it hard for acceptance with health problems, low self-esteem and self-confidence being contemplating factors.
However, many employers were less willing to accept his application and offer him a job because of the security risks associated with convicts.
Community Sentence
He said he would have preferred a community sentence than going to jail which involves complications and other risks noting “Iron bars and concrete walls alone do little to reform criminals.
Mr Kwasi Boapem, the Krachi East Municipal Social Welfare Director said they have aftercare officers, who provide a thorough-care service for inmates in prisons and these officers support convicts with their personal challenges and assist them to find possible solutions.
He said the mandatory aftercare scheme (MAS), aims to support ex-convicts in staying crime-free and deter them from re-offending the law, through a compulsory structured aftercare regime that provides enhanced community support such as counselling and case management.
“With a focus on socialisation, the officers visit the communities and advise stakeholders on the need to accept ex-convicts into their mists and avoid stigmatising them,” he said.
Mr Boapem said another duty of the aftercare officers is to encourage family members to provide structure for their loved ones so that those offenders may not find it difficult to navigate a world in which they have some measure of autonomy.
He explained that their officers sensitise family members to watch out for mental health warning signs during the re-integration period, which could be extremely stressful, saying ex-convicts must foster the growth of self-doubt, anxiety and depression.
Mr Emmanuel Yao Semordey, Volta Regional Coordinator of the National Youth Authority (NYA) told the Ghana News Agency that a scheme being piloted under the Skills Employability and Productivity initiative is crafted to support the youth to gain skills that would make them self-sufficient including ex-convicts.
He appealed to that category of youth to take advantage.
GNA