Dedicated to Thomas Akwasi Owusu-Afriyie to make his Dream come true once he will be the next Asantehene.
Humans are sinful Creators, some to the extent that the society needs to put them into Prisons for punishment and change of behavior. This does not underestimate the value each and every one of us has in the eyes of GOD as described in the Bible. No one is spared from potentially be imprisoned one day.
In Europe and USA the Prisons are of good to high standards providing for the Inmates acceptable Cells with one or two Persons using a room, Pastor’s assisting them in their religious activities in the Prison’s own Churches on site, Playgrounds for sporting activities, healthy and enough food, Medical attention, Rooms for Teachers to educate them to A-Level degree or a Trade to ensure after serving Jail Term the Prisoner can be a useful person once again in Society instead of being a destructive force.
In Ghana, and Africa at large, Prisoners are regarded as second or third class Citizen while even many of their highest Representatives so well known in today’s society have spent time behind bars some even taking it as a Gold Medal across their heart.
The conditions these Prisoners live in are heartbreaking and inhuman to any normal human being but taken in Africa as granted and nothing to pay specifically attention to. The Prisoners sleep at nights on the naked Concrete Floor like Sardines too many in small rooms, the cause for various Infections. In the heat of Africa with no suitable Ventilation, physically and mentally weak Prisoners can easily find their last days among others and Murderers in Ghana are in danger to fall victims of their Inmates to share the fate of the person because of which they have to serve a life-sentence.
Feeding is a problem for the Prison Management that itself faces challenges of receiving their salary regularly and the working conditions under which they have to perform their duties. It is more than understandable, while not acceptable, that in Prison Wardens aggression arises finding its way out of their hearts by mistreating Inmates.
High caliber Prisoners from among the Elite in Ghana and Africa, even convicted to long Jail sentences, have the financial means to pay their way out from Prison and walk free in the streets of Africa having a good laugh about the Political System and fellow citizens that have to suffer while they enjoy their glass of Champagne.
In the countries of the White Man nobody walks free that has been sentences into Prison, no President, and no Billionaire.
Money for such much needed social interventions is available in Ghana but diverted into wrong projects such as Building and maintenance of Football Stadiums. Allianz Arena of Bayern Munich Football Club was financed by the Club’s Profit and Allianz Insurance as main Sponsor. Football is not a State institution but an entertainment for many people in Africa due to the lack of attractive and affordable Alternatives.
Foreign countries, NGOs, IMF, World Bank and ADB are never approached by Ghana to ask for money to build acceptable Prisons and solve an important social issue. The question arises why money is made available for Schools, Hospitals, Vaccination and Health Treatment intervention campaigns like Anti-HIV/AIDS but Ghana is not asking for Funds to build new Prisons.
In USA Prisons are under the Supervision of the State a Private Enterprise paid with Investor’s money. In Ghana a Prison under modern Management offering all the needed space, Health Care, Social Worker support, Vocational Training courses and alike are a vital intervention to ensure that ALL Convicts, regardless of their financial and social status, serve their term in Prison like Uli Hoeness, once President of Bayern Munich Football Club, for Tax Evasion or Martha Stewart in USA for Company Irregularities.
The Financing for such Shareholder operated Prisons will come from Private Investors, Churches, NGOs, Human Right Organizations, Private Individuals, Foreign Governments, UN Organization besides others. The Running Cost will be covered by Legal Fines imposed by Judges in the country not taken to the Common Fund, Government Contribution to sustain a Prisoner in custody and the Profit made from Prison’s own operated private Enterprises in which the Prisoners have to work. From the “normal” payment the Prisoner received only a small portion as pocket money, another portion will be saved for the time of his realize while the larger portion is set aside to pay for the cost of the Prison itself.
The Shareholder will have the certainty to be involved in a much needed and good project, have a Say through the Board of Directors on the Management of the Prison and a modest Profit margin of 4-6% with no shortage of motivated Prisoners to come to sustain the project into a long and good future for their benefit, the society at large and the reputation of Africa as a continent with Humanity at heart and in spirit.
Ghana: See your Prisoners as an Asset and not as a Liability.