Catholic Archbishop calls for review of prisoner training

The Catholic Metropolitan Archbishop of Kumasi, the Most Reverend Gabriel Justice Yaw Anokye, has called for a review of prisoner training to prevent the disturbing incidence of jailbirds breaking the law again.

He said helping them to uphold strong moral values must become central to any training programme designed to aid their reformation.

This was the way to ensure that they did not return after they had regained their freedom.

Archbishop Anokye was saying the mass at the Kumasi Central Prison as part of the church’s routine Boxing Day visit.

Hundreds of Catholic faithful in the archdiocese thronged the place to worship, share the gospel with the inmates and present them with gifts.

He advised the prisoners to give up on their bad ways and accept to live within the law.

They should reject crime and look for a new way of life that would help them to become “a better person”.

He asked them to conduct themselves in a manner that would erase every negative perception society might have about them - to speed up their integration into the society.

They should pray to God for support and to remain confident in His abundant mercies.

Mr Emmanuel Adzator, Ashanti Regional Commander of the Prison Service, thanked the church for its immense support over the years and expressed the hope that this would continue.

He invited other churches and philanthropists to complement efforts at improving conditions in the prisons.

Various food items, including bags of rice, gari, second-hand clothing, toiletries, foot-ware and assorted fruit drinks were donated to the prisoners.