Commander calls for state to employ ex-convicts

The Northern Regional Commander of the Prison Service, ACP Abundant Robert Awolugutu, has made a passionate appeal to the public and the state to have a second look at the provisions in the nation’s statutory books that unwittingly disqualify ex-convicts from being employed by the state.

ACP Awolugutu made this known at a durbar for prison officers drawn from the Northern Region. He said that prisons are supposed to be correctional centres, not a place to worsen the negative character of people who, unfortunately, find themselves in the prisons as the laws of the land deem fit.

According to him, once prisoners have gone through reformation and rehabilitation, some would have expertise that the country stands to benefit from. He, therefore, called for legislative reforms to make prison service real centres of correction and rehabilitation and called for the state to expunge from our books laws that make it impossible for ex-convicts to be employed by the state.

“There is the need for legislative reforms to make prisons real centres of correction and rehabilitation. We need to expunge from our statute books the provisions that debar ex-prisoners from being employed by the state,” he noted.

He also bemoaned the social boycott the public usually mete out to ex-convicts and therefore appealed to the public to try to accept ex-convicts back into society to help them to reintegrate fully into society for them to put their expertise and resources at the disposal of the state to help in nation building. He also advised the public to change their negative attitude towards ex-prisoners, adding that the rejection of ex-convicts by society is seriously hampering the efforts of the service in social rehabilitation and integration of discharged inmates.

ACP Awolugutu further added that the serious lack of support from the public in augmenting the efforts of the service in reforming and reintegrating ex-convicts is negatively affecting the service, and called on public-spirited individuals, civil society groups and corporate bodies to support them. According to him, the current feeding rate of GH?1.80 per prisoner per day is woefully inadequate and needs to be increased.

“The service also suffers a lack of support from the public to reform and reintegrate prisoners after their release. Public-spirited individuals, civil society organisations and corporate bodies should support the service either in cash or kind towards prisoner rehabilitation projects.”

He also appealed to prison officers to at all times discharge their duties with discipline and professionalism, and charged them to be abreast with the service’s standing orders, regulations and decree and to uphold the constitution of the nation so us not to violate the rights of prisoners.

He called on the officers to be duty-conscious and vigilant in the discharge of their duties, adding that it’s the duty of the officers to prevent prisoners from escaping from lawful custody, and this they can achieve when they are disciplined and highly committed to the work.

He warned that any officer whose actions or inactions stand to bring the image of the service into disrepute will not be spared but would be made to face the full rigors of the law.

According to ACP Awolugutu, prisoners are human beings and must be treated with the dignity that all human beings deserve. He also implored the officers to employ all lawful resources available to them to protect prisoners from escaping and carrying contraband articles but at the same time engage inmates with useful activities that focus on their personal development.

“It must be stressed that prisoners are human beings and must be treated with dignity. They have rights and we as officials of the service must ensure that these rights are protected and no prisoner is subjected to dehumanising treatment.”