Foundation launches Stop Crime Campaign

Accra, April 23, GNA - The Crime Check Foundation (CCF), an NGO, has launched the National Stop Crime Campaign to educate the youth about the deplorable conditions in the prisons and to deter them from engaging in crime.

The launch of the campaign also saw the birth of the CCF, which seeks to project the painful prison picture to the public through documentaries on prisoner confessions, among others.

Mr John Kudalor, the Inspector General of Police, speaking at the launch, said the Police Administration was happy to associate itself with the campaign being championed by Mr Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, the Ambassador Extraordinaire of Prisons.

The Ghana Prisons Service Council conferred on Mr Kwarteng an Ambassadorship for his dedication in projecting the welfare of prisoners and the deplorable prison condition across the country.

He said the initiative by the Ambassador would complement the Government's efforts to reduce crime and it would also allow the citizenry to appreciate their freedom through the screening of the prisons documentary.

"We fully support the initiative of Mr Kwarteng and call on stakeholders to support the idea in reducing crime in our society," he stated.

Ms Mavis Ama Frimpong, the Eastern Regional Minister, also said, "Our investments are under threat, if we do not help reduce crime in the society."

She said 30 per cent of prisoners in the Eastern Region were ex-convicts, while about 4, 000 of the national prison population of 15,000, could be found in the Region.

It was, therefore, important to collaborate with the Ambassador to help educate the citizenry to reduce crime, she said.

Mr Jon Benjamin, the British High Commissioner to Ghana, said the UK Government would support Ghana's General Election with four million pounds to deepen democratic governance.

The UK Government, he said, was also working with others partners towards reducing crime.

He said the High Commission had worked with the Prisons Council, through the prison tours being organised for officials of the Prisons Service, to equip officers with the skills to do their work effectively.

He gave the assurance that his Government would continue to work its counterpart towards reforming Ghana's prisons system.

Mr Kwarteng, for his part, urged the Ghana Private Road Transport Union to collaborate with the Foundation to screen the prison documentaries in commercial vehicles.

"We believe that instead of showing certain "unimportant" videos, passengers will be happier to have access to conditions in prison to deter most of them from crime," he explained.

He asked the National Youth Authority, religious bodies and other entities to join the train to roll out the initiative to enable the Foundation to effectively reach its target audience in villages and hamlets across the country.

He said the campaign would be taken to churches, schools and mosques to share with the public the living conditions of prisoners.

GNA