Prisons commander urges churches' collaboration on youth crime prevention, commends Kristo Asafo Mission

The Ashanti Regional Commander of the Ghana Prisons Service, Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP) James B. Mwinyelle, has appealed to religious organizations to collaborate with security agencies in educating young people on crime prevention to keep them out of correctional facilities.

DDP Mwinyelle made the call while expressing profound gratitude to the Kristo Asafo Mission for their unbroken tradition of benevolence and for actively sustaining the philanthropic legacy of their late founder, Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka.

Speaking during a presentation ceremony at the Kumasi Central Prison, the Regional Commander noted that while state budgetary allocations assist in the upkeep of inmates, continuous support from faith-based organizations remains crucial in maintaining humane conditions for prisoners.

"We urge the church to open its doors to our officers so we can educate the youth on behaviors and activities that could lead them into conflict with the law. Preventing our young people from ending up in prison is a shared responsibility." DDP Mwinyelle appealed.

The Prisons Commander’s remarks followed a major outreach exercise organized by the Bompata Branch of Kristo Asafo in Kumasi, supported by several sister branches, to mark the posthumous birthday of Apostle Safo Kantanka.

The church presented a massive consignment of relief items and cash to both the Kumasi Central Prison and the Kumasi Children’s Home.

Meanwhile, the donated items included, large quantities of food provisions and bags of rice, bottled water and assorted soft drinks, toiletries and sanitary pads, an undisclosed cash sum to assist with operational needs among others.

Addressing the gathering, the Head Pastor of the Bompata Branch, Pastor Osei Kwadwo, declared that philanthropy is not an occasional gesture for Kristo Asafo, but a permanent, sacred mandate handed down by their late founder.

Pastor Osei Kwadwo reaffirmed the church's resolve to keep Apostle Safo Kantanka's vision alive by consistently reaching out to the poor, vulnerable, and institutionalized across Ghana.

"Our father set a pace of giving and caring for the needy that we cannot allow to die. Though he is no longer physically with us, he is alive through his works and legacy. We are committed to obeying his words by celebrating his birthday every year with acts of charity that alleviate the suffering of the vulnerable." The head pastor stated.

The gesture has since been commended by the institutional heads in Kumasi, who described the church's intervention as a practical demonstration of Christian charity and civic duty.