![\"mahama](\"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/mahama-at-project-efiase-new-2.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThe move President Mahama said is expected to \u201chelp increase the procurement of vehicles, logistics, communication equipment and accommodation for the Ghana Prisons Service.\u201d<\/p>\n
According President Mahama, the service has a lot of potential and if given the necessary push, they could have their financial freedom.<\/p>\n
President Mahama made the comment when he launched a fund raising programme for the service dubbed: \u201cProject Efiase.\u201d<\/p>\n The project is a ten-year strategic development plan by the Ghana Prisons Services Council.<\/p>\n The project is to raise funds and solicit the needed resources for prisons across the country.<\/p>\n \u201cPrisoners are our brothers and sisters; they are our sons and daughters. Even though we might have taken them out of society and kept them away for a bit, they still are humans and have rights, we\u2019ve only restricted their rights to freedom of movement but all their other rights are active,\u201d stated Mahama.<\/p>\n He further expressed optimism that “the prisons service can generate significant resources to sustain itself, but they first of all need a push and that push must come from government. Government will commit resources to improve the conditions in the prisons, and I wish to fully endorse the Efiase programme and pledge that my administration will lend its full support to your fund raising programme.”<\/p>\n The Chairman of the Prisons Council, Pastor Stephen Wengam had earlier lamented that the various prisons are likely to start rejecting convicted persons<\/strong><\/a><\/span> because the facilities are almost full.<\/p>\n The situation, according to him, \u00a0could adversely affect Ghana\u2019s reformation and rehabilitation system if measures are not taken to address it.<\/p>\n A 2014 report indicated that 28 out of Ghana’s 43 prison facilities are overcrowded by as much as 358%.<\/p>\n In a related development, President Mahama has granted 900 prisoners amnesty<\/a><\/strong><\/span>.<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n By: Godwin A. Allotey & Kojo Agyeman\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n