Non-Governmental Organisation, Crime Check Foundation has donated items to the Ghana Prisons Service to aid the institution manage the infection and spread of coronavirus in Ghana’s prisons.
The donation which was made at the Headquarters of the Prisons Service in Accra included 50 boxes of carbolic soap, 20 Veronica Buckets and 20 boxes of sanitizers.
Presenting the items, the Executive Director of Crime Check Foundation, Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, said with the overwhelming situation governments all over the world are facing as a result of the pandemic, the foundation is hopeful its donation will go a long away to help prison officers and inmates protect themselves against the coronavirus.
“This is not a fight that we can leave for government to do, it is a collective fight because nations that have are even overwhelmed with the situation. Streets are being deserted in Europe and the Americas. So we think that it’s important especially considering the congestion situation in our prisons. If there is a single infection, it is going to be a big problem. We all know that the prisons service has enormous challenges and so in times like this I think it is important that we come to their aid.”
Mr Oppong in his capacity as Ambassador Extraordinaire to Prisons, appealed to Ghanaians in and out of the country to also come to the aid of the Prison Service and inmates, stressing that an infection in the prisons poses a multiple infection threat to inmates, officers their families and the Ghanaian public.
Receiving the items on behalf of the Prisons Service, Deputy Director of Prisons, Josephine Freduah Agyemang said owing to the complexity of situations in the country’s prisons in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the donation by Crime Check Foundation comes in a very timely moment.
“This is timely because COVID-19 has taken siege of the whole world and the prison situation is complex. Why I am saying so? We have over 44 prisons complex, over 15,000 inmates and 8,000 officers to man these inmates. In fact the situation is situation is very very difficult in the sense that we have inadequate resources.”
She therefore on appealed to the general public to support the efforts the service by donating items such as infrared thermometers, vitamin supplements and other protective items.
She on behalf of the Director General of the Prison Service expressed appreciation to Crime Check Foundation and its partner donors for their continues support for Ghana’s prisons.