Foundation facilitates release of inmates from Sekondi Prison

Management of Crime Check Foundation (CCF), a Prison NGO, through its Petty Offenders Project has paid court fines for nine inmates of the Sekondi Central Prison.

The payment of the court fines and the release of the inmates was made possible with financial support from Alfred Priddy, a philanthropist, living abroad. The inmates were sentenced to fines ranging from various sums of Money, or in default serve jail terms from five to 15 months.

Mr Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, Executive Director of CCF, told the Ghana News Agency in Sekondi that, more needed to be done in the Criminal Justice System, to address the needs of the poor.

He said:” much as crime is crime, the speed at which poor petty offenders are dispatched to prison is worrying.

"We hope those in responsible positions will be dispatched to Prison with the same zeal without entertaining the legal hurdles they usually put in the way of their conviction," he added.

Mr Kwarteng, who is also the Ambassador Extraordinaire of Ghana Prisons, said some stole a fowl, while others stole coconut, tubers of yam among others.

He said much as offenders of the law should not be hailed, such guys could serve the country better by de-silting choked gutters and cleaning our streets.

"They can be engaged in the planting for food and jobs programme instead of giving each of them harsh jail terms for these petty offences," he said.