‘Don’t neglect prisoners’

Daily Graphic Apr - 23 - 2014 , 09:16

The Headmistress of the Light of the World School Complex, Mrs Esther Hamilton, has called on society not to shun prisoners and ex-convicts.

Rather, she said, such unfortunate ones should be given the necessary support and accepted once they had finished serving their sentences.

Awutu prison

Mrs Hamilton made the call when she feted inmates of the Awutu Camp Prison at Awutu Bereku in the Central Region.

During the event, staff of the school and the inmates danced to brass band music as part of the Easter Monday festivities.

Before the feting of the prisoners, the headmistress had paid for the painting of the prison and the erection of a giant signboard leading to the prison camp.

Mrs Hamilton urged well-to-do people and philanthropists to support the prisons, since the government was saddled with many national activities, adding that “those of us God has blessed with money should help those who do not have anything so that they can be fully integrated in the society”.

According to her, some people are serving various prison terms because they did not have anybody to support them when their cases went to court, leading to their incarceration.

She said it was sad that the parents and relatives of the inmates had neglected them, adding that it was time for a change of attitude because inmates were given training to be reintegrated into society.

Continuous support

Mrs Hamilton, who supports the Awutu Camp every Christmas and Easter, pledged her continuous support to the camp.

Addressing the prisoners, she charged them to learn whatever they were taught so that when they were released, they could employ the skills to become useful citizens.

She said they should reform and not go back to what sent them to prison.

She called for legal representation for those who had been accused wrongly because most people had found their way into prison because they did not have legal representation.