NGO advocates improvement in prison facilities

Solid Bridge International, a Non-Governmental Organization (NG)) committed to the welfare of prison in-mates and ex-convicts, has emphasized the need to improve facilities in the country’s prisons.

Mr. Seth McForson, President of the organisation, said it behooved all and sundry to complement the efforts of government in decongesting and also constructing  state-of-the-art vocational training centres in the prisons.

In addition, stakeholders and corporate institutions should mobilize resources to setting up Counselling and Guidance Centres to allow for the effective mentoring of the in-mates to ensure their total reformation to benefit the society.

Mr. McForson was speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after executives of the NGO visited the Manhyia Local Prison in Kumasi.

They interacted with the authorities and in-mates and also inspected facilities at the Prison to be abreast with their challenges so as to enable the NGO identify how they could come to the aid of the Prison.

The president indicated that over the years experience had shown that with good training facilities and harmonious environment in-mates were more likely to reform to foster their re-integration into the society.

Mr. McForson observed that nobody was born a criminal and as such all efforts should be made to tap the potentials of in-mates and ex-convicts.

The society ought to also do away with all forms discrimination and marginalization impeding the re-integration and development of ex-convicts.

Assistant Director of Prisons (ADP) Ernest Asante Adofo, in-charge of the Manhyia Local Prison, thanked the NGO for its keen interest in enhancing the welfare of the in-mates.

He pledged that the authorities would collaborate with NGO to help achieve its noble objectives.

Source: GNA