UCC prison inmates’ programme commendable

The distance education mode of studies takes care of people who for reasons of work and other practical exigencies cannot be available for classroom learning.

Due to its convenience, the popularity of this kind of learning has soared over the years, bringing education to the doorstep of many people. Thanks to distance education; today students can also be in Ghana and acquire degrees across the globe.

The Daily Graphic therefore finds the initiative by the University of Cape Coast (UCC) College of Distance Education (CoDE) to introduce a Prison Inmates Tertiary Education programme to enable inmates to have access to tertiary education commendable.

This is because it has extended distance education to the otherwise forgotten segment of society— prisoners.

At its matriculation ceremony held on December 28 last year for its distance education students, the UCC made the worthwhile disclosure that cannot pass without comment.

The Provost of the College, Professor Isaac Galyuon, addressing matriculants in Tamale, announced that the college had admitted 59 prisoners at the Nsawam Prisons to go through diploma programmes.

The programme, which was introduced this academic year (2019/2020), is in collaboration with the Ghana Prisons Service (GPS) and Plan Volta Foundation, a non-profit organisation.

This has led to the creation of a study centre at the Nsawam Prisons in the Eastern Region this year, with the centre enrolling 59 inmates to pursue various programmes for the 2019/2020 academic year under the UCC CoDE. Nineteen of them are reading Diploma in Commerce (Management Option), eight are pursuing Diploma in Commerce (Accounting option), nine are for Diploma in Junior High School (JHS) Education (Science & Mathematics Option) and 23 will pursue Diploma in JHS Education (English & Social Studies Option).

Over and over again, it has been said that our prisons are not doing enough to reform those who find themselves within the confines of their walls.

This has sometimes been attributed to the lack of resources. No wonder most convicts who complete their term or get pardoned and released find themselves on the wrong side of the law again and return to prison in no time.

The average prisoner is not accepted as part of society and feels condemned.

With this UCC initiative, some prisoners are going to have certificates that will boost their chances of employment. This will give them a reason to live for and boost their confidence. It will also aid their integration back into society.

Certainly, this kind of academic exercise will also reduce their boredom and engage them. The essence of university education is to improve the lives of people and in this regard, the UCC has nailed it.

We appeal to other universities to see how best they can also reach out to other prisoners in line with these same objectives because if we neglect them today, they will come back to haunt us in future.