Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery has revealed that a total of 670 detainees were enrolled in formal education as part of efforts to rehabilitate and reform them for their reintegration into society after their release from prison.
According to him, the Ghana Prisons Service continues to provide and engage inmates in various rehabilitation and reform programs designed to equip them with cutting-edge knowledge and skills.
The minister in answering questions yesterday on the floor of Parliament said the 670 inmates included 100 juveniles in junior high school , while 400 inmates are enrolled in the senior high schools.
“26 juveniles who sat for the BECE 2021 had a 98% pass, while six adult inmates who took the same exams got a 100% pass. The nine inmates who sat down for WASSCE 2021 recorded a 100% pass”, he noted.
Mr. Dery said the Prison inmates ‘Tertiary Education Programme, which is currently run at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison, has 116 inmates including 13 female.
Additionally,he indicated that 23 of them had been discharged and transferred or integrated into various study centers at the University of Cape Coast, adding that the program is currently in the first semester of the 2021/2022 academic year.
Vocational programmes
He said the vocational training programmes were also designed to lead inmates to acquire NVTI trade test certificates, noting that these programmes are run in some prison establishment across the country.
He said,” Programmes taught include hairdressing, tailoring, bread baking, carpentry, pottery, ceramics,auto-electrical, general electrical, auto-mechanics, welding, batik tie and dye making, basket weaving, kente weaving, crocheting, doormat making, soap making”.
He added that a total of 1,375 inmates in the country’s prisons, including 175 juveniles, are currently undergoing training in these NVTI programmes.
Regarding agriculture, the minister said some inmates are equally engaged in modern farming practices at designated agricultural stations.
“This is intended to equip inmates with the agricultural skills they need to compete well in the agricultural market after discharge,” he said.
Currently, there are 21 agricultural stations across the country. These are Kenyasi Camp Prison, Duayaw-Nkwanta Camp Prison, Forifori Camp Prison, Amanfrom Camp Prison, Ejura Camp Prison, Hiawa Camp Prison, Camp Prison of Osamkrom, Akuse Male Local Prison, Awutu Camp Prison, Yeji Camp Prison, Ahinsan Camp Prison, Ankaful Prison Annex, Ankaful Main Prison, James Camp Prison, Local Prison of Kpando, Navrongo Central Prison, Nsawam Male and Female Prisons, Obuasi Local Prison, Tarkwa Local Prison and Yendi Local Prison.
Mr. Dery further explained that, these stations train inmates in the best techniques of growing maize, palm plantations, livestock, rice, cassava and other crops, saying that “these are used to supplement the Government’s efforts to feed the inmates.”
