Crime Check Foundation (CCF) has responded to the distress call of the Ghana Prisons Service with a donation of 100 pieces of student mattresses worth GH¢ 12,000.00 to the Service.

The overcrowding of inmates in Ghana’s prisons has put so much pressure on its facilities leading to their worn-out.

A major challenge, which the donation is meant to solve, is bridging the accommodation gap where most inmates have to sleep on the bare floor because of lack of space and mattresses. It is also to prevent the spread of the dreaded COVID-19 in the Prisons.

Presenting the mattresses to the Prisons Service, the Executive Director of CCF, Mr Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng said the welfare of inmates should not be ignored, especially in this COVID-19 period.

He said for the Prisons Service to effectively execute its mandate, it must be adequately equipped. He urged other individuals and organizations to emulate the gesture.

“We thought it prudent to talk to donors of our Foundation to quickly come to the aid of the Ghana Prisons Service. We have brought 100 pieces of mattresses to help our brothers and sisters in prisons, especially at this crucial time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We know that for the Prisons Service to carry out its mandate of reformation and rehabilitation it is the responsibility of all Ghanaians to come to the aid of the Service. We hope that other well-meaning Ghanaians will also follow suit,” he said.

Mr Oppong Kwarteng, who also doubles as the Ambassador Extraordinaire of Ghana Prisons, appealed for support for the Prisons Service: “We would want to use this opportunity to appeal to Ghanaians all over the globe to help support the Ghana Prisons.

“They need sanitizers and other Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This is not the time we should not turn our back to them but rather fulfill godly responsibility which is enshrined in both the Bible and Quran on the need to go TO the aid of prisoners.”

Mr Kwarteng assured the Service that the Foundation would continue to support the Prisons.

Receiving the mattresses on behalf of the Ghana Prisons Service, the Director of Prisons in charge of Welfare, DOP Leopord Kwame Amoah Ansah thanked CCF for its relentless support towards the work of the Service.

“You have been with us and you know the inside out of our facilities. So we are grateful that you are responding to our request to assist us. Certainly, you know the overcrowding situation in our facilities,” he said.

DOP Ansah said the donation is timely as it will help improve the well-being of inmates during this COVID-19 pandemic. He appealed to corporate bodies to assist the Service to improve its service delivery and also called on the government to increase the feeding fee of inmates.

“I add my voice to corporate Ghana and indeed organizations which are interested in corrections to come on board and assist us. In addition to the PPE’s we need a nutritious meal for our inmates.

“The few medical infirmaries we have we also need support to renovate and refurbish them and we appeal to government to push forward our request for increase in the feeding rate of inmates,” he said.

CCF has been instrumental in facilitating the execution of the reformation and rehabilitation mandate of the Ghana Prisons Service through its support programmes that seek to improve the welfare of prison inmates.