DIRECTOR-GENERAL’S TEAM VISIT TO KASUNYA HALF-WAY HOME

The Director General of the Ghana Prisons Service on Friday, 22nd March, 2024 visited the Half-way Home at Kasunya near Akuse with his team.

The purpose of the visit was to assess the readiness and suitability of the facility to receive residents, and operate it as a “home”.

Request by: Director General of the Ghana Prisons Service.

The team comprised of officers from the Ghana Prisons Service

1. i) DOP (Agric) Hansen Awuku
2. ii) DOP (Welfare) Joana Fofo Tackie

iii) OIC (Akuse Prisons) Alhaji Ousmane Tesembo

1. iv) Chaplain (Akuse Prisons)
2. v) PA to DOP (Agric)

and from the Prison Ministry of Ghana

1. i) Executive Director Mr. Akumfi Ameyaw Buanya
2. ii) Projects Coordinator Mr. Eric Lawer

iii) Technical Adviser Mr. Gabriel Mensah

1. iv) Member of Halfway Home implementation team Ps. Richard Nyarko
2. a) The Visit:

The nearly two-hour visit took the form of a thorough field inspection of the land allotment and facilities with questions from the GPS team being answered by the PMG team.

Extensive discussions on the concept, vision and ultimate aim of the Home were then held. Also discussed were broad guidelines for choice of prison inmates to be recommended by GPS for PMG to consider as residents, the capacity (especially financially) of the facility for the purpose, discipline and honest hard-work ethic.

DOP (Agric) strongly recommended that the Chaplain of the Akuse Prisons be added to the Project Implementation Team. Further, the future proposals of PMG for the Home were deliberated upon; as well, the expectations by PMG of GPS were touched upon.

1. b) Decisions:
2. i) The facility is purpose-ready
3. ii) The DG is personally committed to the Project and urges implementation without any further delay

iii) GPS stands by PMG and will give all necessary support toward the success of the project

1. iv) O.I.C. (Akuse) was officially instructed to begin conscientization of inmates on the Home and to select 10-15 near-term inmates for consideration by PMG for acceptance as residents.
2. v) ED and the O.I.C. (Akuse) should henceforth closely collaborate to ensure successful implementation. Both are to agree on the practical and final date for admission of residents.
3. C) Other issues/observations:

There is a need to revamp/restock on the moveable assets (eg. Furniture, cooking utensils, first-aid box, etc) to cater for spoilage, pilferage and other losses.

Bats have infested the residence and need to be driven away while appropriate measures are taken to henceforth keep them away.

The Centre Manager has to be provided with on-site or near-by residential accommodation.

A campaign to raise funds for the Home is ongoing, and we are appealing to our members, friends, partners and other churches and organisations to come together to support this project to the glory of God.