Prisons officer unhappy with too many youth coming to jail

A Prisons Officer has raised concerns about the disturbing rate at which young people are being thrown into the prisons for criminal acts.

Chief Superintendent of Prisons Benjamin Dwira-Ampratwum, who is in charge of the Amanfrom Camp Prisons, said this was an indictment on the society.

He said: “More is needed to be done to provide the youth with proper guidance and direction. They should be assisted to become self-disciplined, hard working and avoid reckless conduct, likely to bring them into trouble, blight their future and make life miserable for them.”

He expressed his concerns when he received some gifts for the upkeep of the prisoners on Thursday.

These included bales of used clothing, confectionery and soft drinks and were a donation from Solid Bridge International, an non-governmental organisation.

CSP Dwira-Ampratwum said no effort should be spared to discourage the youth from “the get rich -quick-mentality”, greed, arrogance and disrespect for law and order.

They should appreciate that “cutting corners” and the resort to foul means to achieve successes in life would simply not do and could prove costly.

He said there were plans to construct a vocational centre at the prisons to train the inmates in trades that would make them self-supporting after serving out their term.

The executives of the NGO later interacted with prisoners at the Manhyia Local Prisons, where an Assistant Director of Prisons, Ernest Asante Adofo, the officer in charge, called on the people not to shun or stigmatize ex-convicts.

They should rather aid their re-integration into the society to prevent them from going back to their bad habits.

Mr Seth McForson, President of the NGO, said they would continue to associate with efforts at helping prisoners to give up on crime and conform to acceptable standards of social behavior.