Members of the general public and society at large have been implored to help with the effective implementation of the reintegration and reforms programmes by the Ghana Prisons Service.
Ing. James B. Nwinyelle, the Ashanti Regional Commander of Prisons, who also doubles as the Officer in charge of the Kumasi Central Prisons, has indicated that Prisons are part of society, for which reason members of the public must be encouraged to visit the prisons and show love to inmates towards effective integration and reforms.
Addressing a forum dubbed: “Happy Hour” for prison officers drawn from across the Ashanti region, last Friday, the Director of Prisons said reintegration was key to prison work and urged prison officers to go the extra mile to ensure proper integration of the inmates.
The Prison Commander also drew the attention of prison officers to the issue of stigmatisation and the need to help in reducing it.
Commander Nwinyelle called for the involvement of society when it comes to prison issues to assist inmates to properly integrate into society after their discharge.
He further suggested that the Public should be educated and sensitised regularly by the media on the dangers of crime and its resultant imprisonment, to clamp down on crime wave.
The Regional Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Mr. James Mensah Donkor, reminded the prison officers of the revocation of the policy on sexuality during probation.
He said the policy, which hitherto affected all security service personnel, particularly the females, was discriminatory and against the fundamental human rights of men and women, hence its revocation through the instrumentality of CHRAJ ten years ago.
The CHRAG boss, therefore, urged Prison officers to reciprocate the gesture by giving off their best in their mandate towards the reform of prison inmates.
Mr. Donkor assured that CHRAJ, as a friend and developing partner, would at all times promote and protect the fundamental human rights of the citizenry.
