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The Authorities of the Winneba Local Prison have put in measures to promote rehabilitation and to provide basic skills and knowledge to the inmates under their care.

They will acquire vocational and entrepreneurial skills to be self-reliant for their successful reintegration back into society.

Divisional Director of Prison (DDP) D.N. Arthur, Officer In charge of the Local Prison announced this at a Thanksgiving Church Service at Winneba.

He said as part of the programmes, they would involve a number of inmates in the Winneba NVTI in crafts training and also register them for the NVTI Grade 1 and 2 Examinations, train them in Pineapple and Pawpaw farming on a 22 acre land located at Effutu Ateitu.

He said the Non-Formal Education Division in the Municipality had been organising literacy classes for the inmates and they were in collaboration with the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) to introduce formal education and I.C.T education for them.

According DDP Arthur, the Winneba Prison was one of the oldest prison in the country established in the 19th century, among the few castles and forts that were converted into prisons during the colonial era.

He said during the year under review, their performance made possible with support from their stakeholders especially the religious group saying “God has indeed been so kind and merciful to us in 2018 and by his grace the station recorded NO ESCAPE”.

DDP Arthur said, it was initially established to house 80 inmates, but currently it housed 250 inmates on the average, creating congestion at the facility with its attendant health hazards.

“The sea breeze has equally exerted its toll on it making the structure weak and risky to the lives of the inmates, officers among others”.

He said a collaboration with the Business Advisory Centre (BAC) under the auspices of the municipal assembly and the Association of Artisans and Garages in Winneba, three inmates were trained in various apprenticeship programmes such as Auto Mechanics, welding, electronics and electricals.

He thanked the Effutu Assembly for handing over an abandoned warehouse at the prison premises as a workshop to train the inmates and expressed his appreciation to Mr. Alexzander Afenyo-Markin MP for Effutu and Mr. John Ninson Effutu Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for their support to the service.

DDP Arthur also made an appeal to corperate bodies and other philanthropies for assistance in order to achieve their aims and objectives.

In a semon, Pastor Gabriel Siaw who represented the Area Head of the Church of Pentecost, Winneba, quoting from Luke Chapter 2 Verse 8-14 stressed that people should believe in the Lord Jesus who has the power to transform lives.

He later led a prayer session for God’s protection and guidance for officers and also for the inmates to believe in the lord Jesus, in order to be transformed.