Rehabilitating prison inmates through entrepreneurial skills

Equipping prison inmates with entrepreneurial skills while serving their various jail terms in safe custody is a pre­requisite for building a resilient nation.

Looking at this in a wider perspective, the Ghana Prisons Service, over the years has con­tributed to rehabilitating inmates with skills acquisition that has helped them to be great entre­preneurs and accepted in their communities.

It is, therefore, worthy to note that, providing essential skills training to inmates has an impact in contributing to a law abiding and peaceful society and the nation at large.

On the flip side of the afore­mentioned scenario, the over 40 prison establishments in Ghana are tremendously investing in the lives of inmates to acquire en­trepreneurial skills as part of the service’s mandate to reform them to be useful citizens in society when discharged.

Rehabilitation/ Reformation/ Reintegration

The Ghana Prisons Service has an important role on the lives and future of over 15,000 inmates made up of the youth who have acquired employable skills while serving their term.

The service has considered that, entrepreneurship is a cat­alyst for economic growth, job creation and social transforma­tion where inmates ‘welfare is prioritised .

It is noteworthy that, when in­mates are provided with employ­able skills, it helps to adequately prepare them for the job market where it also helps in fostering their reintegration into society as useful citizens.

Concerted Efforts/ Commit­ments by Ghana Prisons Service

The Ghana Prisons Service, under the able leadership of its Director-General, Mr. Isaac K. Egyir has constantly been putting measures in place and creating an enabling environment for inmates to become self-sufficient after serving their jail term.

With the commitment towards transformative programmes for inmates, the Ghana Prisons Ser­vice has created the platform to rebuild their lives through various skills acquisition ranging from ag­ric, fish farming, soap and deter­gent making, juice processing and packaging, bamboo bags to shoe making.

Partnership/Collaboration

Recently, the Ghana Prisons Ser­vice together with the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) launched the “Entrepreneurship for Restoration Programme” aimed at providing skills to inmates and also for offi­cers to acquire vocational skills.

The programme provided start­er packs and kits needed for pro­duction, where the NEIP pledged to provide grants and loans as working capital for officers who have been trained and also give working capital to inmates for their set up, upon discharge from prison.

[The Writer is an Assistant Superintendent of Prisons,

Senior Correctional Centre, Accra-Ghana.]

 By ASP Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah