The German Embassy has handed over equipment worth €6,000 to the carpentry lab of the Nsawam Medium Security Prison.
The modern items, which include circular saw, large angle grinder, jigsaw, sander, mitre saw, impact drill, table saw, would replace the obsolete and traditional carpentry tools such as hammer in the lab.
The donation was facilitated by the Perfector of Sentiment Foundation, an implementing partner of the Justice For All Programme (JFAP), an intervention to address prison overcrowding by bringing the courts to the doorsteps of remand prisoners.
It forms part of efforts by the German government to support the technical and vocational skills development of inmates and empower them to contribute positively to society on their release.
Experts took turns to demonstrate how to fix and use the equipment, as well as the safety precautions to take when using them.
Rationale
The German Ambassador to Ghana, Daniel Krull, explained that Ghana had served as a model of respect of rule of law and human rights, building a healthy future for its people, including inmates.
In line with that, Mr Krull said his outfit was supporting the inmates who also had rights to improve their employability and skills.
By doing this, he said, “Once they leave the prison they can have a better future and be able to support themselves and contribute meaningfully to society”.
The Ambassador added that the embassy would from time to time visit the carpentry lab to assess their needs and impact made with the equipment given inmates who are currently manufacturing chairs, wardrobes and other furniture.
The Executive Director of POS Foundation, Jonathan Osei Owusu, highlighted the importance of rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates into society, emphasising the role of skills acquisition in this process.
He said the items would help reduce recidivism by equipping inmates with the marketable skills and support systems they could rely on when they were discharged.
“This donation will ensure that inmates are better prepared to reintegrate into society and lead reformed lives,” he said.
Mr Owusu said he was impressed by the work of the inmates, calling for further support for them with starter packs after serving their jail term.
Gratitude
For his part, the Eastern Regional Commander and Officer in Charge of the Nsawam Medium Security Prison, Assistant Director of Prisons (ADP) Patrick Thomas Seidu, commended the embassy for the kind gesture.
He said the equipment would help revolutionise the carpentry shop to offer better skills training for the prison’s inmates.
He further called on corporate Ghana and the public to support the prison’s skills training programme to reform the inmates and make them employable upon their release.
Source: graphic.com.gh
