Ghana Prisons Service warns students against festive season crime
A team from the Ghana Prisons Service (GPS) visited Kinbu Senior High School in Accra on Thursday, December 14, 2023, to warn students against engaging in criminal activities, especially during the upcoming festive season.
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The community engagement campaign, titled "The Youth and Crime," was organized by the GPS Public Relations Office.
The Chief Public Relations Officer Superintendent Abdul Latif Adamu led the team and addressed the students, highlighting the consequences of criminal behavior.
He acknowledged that some teenagers are drawn to criminal activities during the holidays, leading to conflict with the law. He urged students to be mindful of their choices and avoid actions that could land them in prison.
"Your actions and inactions, some of the attitudes that can land you in conflict with the law, which can land you into committing a crime, can be avoided by eschewing criminal behavior and criminal activity," he said.
Superintendent Adamu clarified that the purpose of the Ghana Prisons Service is not simply to punish offenders, but to rehabilitate them and prepare them for reintegration into society as law-abiding citizens.
"Our mandate is to take good care of individuals brought to us by the court and ensure they serve their sentences safely and securely," he explained.
The Greater Accra Regional PRO ASP Loretta Valentina Amoah further elaborated on the consequences of crime, emphasizing that anyone can end up incarcerated if their actions harm others or violate social norms.
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She listed examples of offenses that could lead to imprisonment, including threats of violence, physical and sexual assault, drug use and possession, and robbery.
Amoah also explained the factors that contribute to juvenile delinquency, such as broken homes, idleness, peer pressure, unemployment, and poverty.
She stressed the emotional and psychological toll that crime takes on both victims and perpetrators.
"Victims may experience anger, depression, isolation, fear, and difficulty sleeping," she said.
ASP Amoah urged the students to choose to be law-abiding citizens and avoid drug and alcohol use, which could lead to conviction and imprisonment.