A non-governmental organization known as the Centre for Social Development (CSD), has launched a two year project to promote the rehabilitation and reintegration of ex-offenders.
It was launched in Tamale under the theme, “Harnessing Opportunities for Prison Ex-Offenders (HOPE).”
A Board Member of Directors of the CSD Reform, Rev. Fr. Gerald K. Zienaa, said the project is to galvanize support for both Prison inmates and Ex-offenders.
“Whilst commending previous and present efforts of NGOs and FBOs at promoting integral human development in Ghana, it is expedient to also point out that not too many civil society organizations have taken an interest in supporting both prison inmates and ex-offenders to access both economic and social opportunities.”
“This lack of interest has often resulted in exclusion and marginalization of prisoners and ex-offenders from social interventions. The lack of social and economic opportunities for both prison inmates and ex-offenders was what motivated the development of the HOPE Project by CSD Reform with the aim of giving true meaning to the latter and spirit of the Sustainable Development Goals.”
He anticipated that the project will improve the well-being of the would-be beneficiaries.
“The successful implementation of the HOPE project would be the CSD Reforms contribution to Ghana’s efforts at achievement the following Sustainable Development Goals of No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Decent work and economic growth and Reduced inequalities.”
Rev. Fr. Zienaa encouraged the management and staff of the CSD Reform to live up to expectations.
“I want to urge the management and staff to give out their utmost best in the course of the project implementation, this may mean going the extra mile to provide services and also build the capacity of both prison inmates and ex-offenders under very difficult circumstances.”
“We wish to also use this opportunity to formally solicit the support of key implementing partners such as the Northern Regional Command of the Ghana Prison Service, the Regional Directorate of the Legal Aid Scheme, the Catholic Archdiocese of Tamale, and the media among others to accord us the needed support to ensure a smooth implementation of the HOPE Project.”
“It is our hope that after a successful implementation of this pilot project in Tamale, CSD Reform would upscale the interventions to cover all regions that have correctional facilities such as the Prison and borstal homes,” he emphasized.
The Catholic Arch Bishop of Tamale, Most Rev. Philip Naamehre, affirmed the Catholic Church’s contribution to the rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners and ex-convicts.
“The rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners and ex-convicts is a key concern for the Church. It is for this reason that the Catholic Archdiocese of Tamale has agreed to partner CSD Reform in initiating the HOPE project to address issues of injustice, lack of economic opportunities among others.
The Church applauds CSD Reform’s initiative to promote and protect the dignity of all humans as enshrined in the Church’s Social Teachings.”
“The Church recognizes the importance of the four key issues of the pilot-project namely; legal-aid, psychosocial therapy, business development training, sensitization among the public and policy-makers on the issues regarding prisoners and ex-convicts.”
“In this project, the Church sees its natural role in advocacy in terms of just legal processes that will lead to improved human rights practices towards those charged with breaking the law. Already, the Catholic Church is represented on the National Prison Council through the presence of the Bishop of Damongo. From this position the Church will engage with the Regional prison command and the Ghana Prison Service to advocate for better resource allocation and improved human right practices.”
Most Rev. Phillip Naameh decried the human rights violations of prisoners and ex-Convicts who are protected by Ghana’s legal framework.
“Today, those who are charged with breaking the law are under the formal protection of regulations that are not enforced. People are locked away without a warrant of commitment. People are kept away under in humane conditions, too many cramped into small spaces where survival is a daily struggle.”
According to him “the Church together with CSD Reform will dialogue with the Prison Service to address all these challenges. We will be calling upon policy-makers and policy-implementers to take this important responsibility upon themselves to organize or rather reorganize and redesign the legal and prison institutions to ensure the dignity of all prison inmates by giving them more decent places to live in, where inmates’ reform could be a possibility. This will allow for prisoners to plan, to resettle and to hope for a better future.”
He thanked MISEREOR, a German charity organization for agreeing to support the HOPE project and called for enough donor support.
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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah | citinewsroom.com | Ghana
The post HOPE project launched to promote reintegration of ex-offenders into society appeared first on Citi Newsroom.
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