By virtue of my advocacy for reform in the criminal justice system, including but not limited to prison reform, yours truly has been invited as a guest at the first-ever Ex-Convicts’ Reintegration Conference in Ghana to tackle recidivism and improve social acceptance of former prisoners.
It is a truism in criminal justice advocacy that rehabilitation is a cardinal goal of any credible criminal justice system.
By embracing rehabilitation and reintegration, Ghana can break the cycle of reoffending and build safer, more inclusive communities.
When a prisoner walks out of the prison gates after serving a sentence, society faces a choice.
It can welcome that person back, provide opportunities for a fresh start and encourage responsible citizenship or it can condemn the individual to a lifetime of rejection, unemployment and isolation.
Unfortunately too often in Ghana, the latter is the norm but we express surprise when some former inmates return to crime.
The challenge of recidivism - the tendency of former offenders to commit further offences and return to the criminal justice system - is not merely a problem for the Ghana Prison Service.
It is a national challenge requiring a coordinated response from government, families, employers, civil society and communities.
It is against this background, that the Crime Check Foundation, led by the irrepressible Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, deserves widespread public support for organising Africa’s first Ex-Convicts’ Reintegration Conference.
The conference presents an important opportunity to confront the social and economic barriers that undermine rehabilitation and to rethink our approach to criminal justice.
It has become obvious that punishment alone does not guarantee public safety.
Imprisonment serves legitimate purposes, including punishment, deterrence, rehabilitation and the protection of society.
But if a prison sentence ends without equipping the offender to live responsibly outside prison, the criminal justice system may be simply postponing the next offence.
The ultimate measure of a criminal justice system should not be the number of people it imprisons, it should be the extent to which it prevents crime, rehabilitates offenders and protects the public from future harm.
A person who leaves prison without employable skills, accommodation, financial support or acceptance from the community faces obstacles.
When legitimate opportunities for survival are closed, the temptation to return to familiar criminal networks may become stronger. Reintegration therefore is not an act of charity towards offenders, it is an investment in public safety.
One of the greatest obstacles confronting former prisoners in Ghana is stigma.
In many communities, a person who has served a prison sentence continues to be treated as a criminal.
Employers refuse to hire them and neighbours view them with suspicion.
Genuine remorse is often disregarded, creating a contradiction: we tell offenders to reform, yet deny them the opportunities through which reform can become meaningful.
When society continually defines a person by the worst thing they have done, the tendency often is to internalise that identity.
Families must be encouraged to support former offenders.
Families need support and guidance to help former prisoners rebuild trust, develop responsible habits and manage the practical challenges of starting again.
But by far, it is the government which has to do more.
Reintegration cannot depend solely on charitable organisations like the Crime Check Foundation.
The state must develop a structured post-release support system involving the Ghana Prison Service, social welfare agencies, local authorities, employers and civil society.
Such a system should provide vocational training, job placement, counselling, temporary accommodation and assistance with essential documentation.
The plight of former prisoners is dire to say the least.
A case in point is the mechanic for the notorious armed robber, Ataa Ayi, who was wrongfully incarcerated for 23 years before yours truly secured his release on appeal.
Space and time will not allow one to catalogue the many challenges he is facing on release.
It’s been a year since he was released but he is grappling with serious financial and accommodation problems.
We hope this conference will start the process of a national programme but any individual, organisation or philanthropist who wants to help can contact me directly.
It behoves us all to do our part in ensuring those who have spent time in prison, either due to a crime they have committed or, in the case of the mechanic, because they were wrongly convicted, are enabled to live full and successful lives on release without stigma and prejudice.
