Ghana’s former envoy to Serbia and Montenegro, Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, has commended President John Mahama for his recent visit to the country’s prisons but appealed for an overhaul of Ghana's prison policy.
"President Mahama has done well in heeding calls for action on our prisons. Last Thursday, President Barack Obama followed his lead by becoming the first sitting US President to visit a prison.
"Ghana Prison Service Council Chairman, Reverend Stephen Wengham and the media are to be commended for putting prison reform on the political agenda and President Mahama must be commended for being sensitive to growing calls for prison reform," Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe said.
He advocated that "our attitude towards prison must shift from just punishment to include rehabilitation. Almost all prisoners will return to society, so we need to be concerned about rehabilitation. For one, the practice of not segregating prisoners based on the nature of crime committed must stop to prevent graduating trained criminals, rather than rehabilitated citizens. Look, anyone can end up in prison.
"In 1987, I involuntarily moved from my consultation room as a doctor to the Nsawam Prison as an inmate in the twinkle of an eye. That could be you.
"When I listen to Rev. Wengham, my heart bleeds. If the government does not follow President Mahama's historic prison visit with concrete action, it will be meaningless. Let us all support Rev. Wengham and the prison service to bring positive change in our penal policy.”
Source: Daily Graphic
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