Further education for inmates: Prisons Service has been progressive

The Sustainable Development Goal Four ((SDG 4) calls for inclusive and equitable quality education that promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all.

It is in recognition of Ghana's effort towards attaining the SDG Four that the Daily Graphic commends the Ghana Prisons Service for taking the initiative to allow inmates at the Senior Correctional Centre and other prisons in the country to sit the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

The Daily Graphic is equally aware of the collaboration of the service with some universities and other educational institutions that allows inmates to further their education.

Indeed, formal education gained its popularity in the prisons in 2007 with the support of the Centre for National Distance Learning and Open Schooling and the Ghana Education Trust Fund

This is a good initiative especially as it allows both the juveniles and young adults who run into conflict with the law to continue with their education when they finish serving their term of imprisonment.

This includes adult inmates desirous of improving themselves to sit the BECE and is a partial fulfilment of “inclusive education and lifelong learning”.

For us, giving these inmates such a lifetime opportunity to reform to become useful citizens by the time they are discharged is a good move worthy of support.

The Director-General of Prisons, Isaac Kofi Egyir, is quoted as saying that prisoner education is one of the surest and safest ways the service had prioritised over the years to reform inmates and provide them with a better life upon their release.

Indeed, to effectively deliver on its reformation and rehabilitation mandate in line with modern universal best practices, the introduction of inmates to formal education by the service, where they offer subjects such as English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies is the best way to go.

The revelation by Mr Egyir that there is a drastic reduction in the rate of recidivism (the tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend) for the prisoners who participated in prison education programmes is quite refreshing.

The Daily Graphic also learnt that beyond basic school and senior high school (SHSs), the Prisons Service, in partnership with the University of Cape Coast and the Plan Volta Foundation, has introduced the University of Cape Coast Distance Learning Programme which provides tertiary education for inmates of the Nsawam Medium Security and Nsawam Female prisons who have excelled in their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) over the years.

Other educational programmes run by the service include University of Cape Coast Distance Programme, National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI)/ICT and Proficiency for Tradesmen, Energy Commission Training and CTVET Electrical Certification Programme.

These are very laudable interventions and we are hopeful that they will be extended to the other prisons across the country.

For us, it is refreshing to note that currently, 162 prisoners have been enrolled on the College of Distance Education (University of Cape Coast) to study for a Bachelor of Education degree with specialisation in English Language and Social Studies or Mathematics and Science, and a Bachelor of Commerce with specialisation in Accounting and Management.

Additionally, the Daily Graphic learnt that about eight juveniles who successfully completed SHS while in detention at the Senior Correctional Centre between 2020 and 2022 are pursuing various programmes at the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, the University of Energy and Natural Resources in Sunyani, the University of Professional Studies, Accra, and the technical universities of Accra, Ho and Koforidua, among others.

For those who are currently placed in the various SHSs, we urge the management of those schools to give them the needed support, care and encouragement.

It is important the authorities of the schools provide the inmates with the conducive learning environment.

We believe that providing the opportunity for the inmates to access formal education is the best way to reform them to become useful citizens in the near future.

Congratulations to these inmates.