A total of 36 inmates across four correctional facilities in the country are sitting for this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), the Ghana Prisons Service (GPS) has disclosed.
According to the Service, the candidates comprise inmates from the Senior Correctional Centre in Accra, Nsawam Medium Security Prison, Kumasi Central Prison, and Ho Central Prison.
In a statement issued by the GPS and copied to The Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday, said the Senior Correctional Centre had the highest number of candidates, with 18 inmates registered for the examination.
This is followed by Nsawam Medium Security Prison with seven candidates, while Kumasi Central Prison and Ho Central Prison have five and six candidates respectively.
The statement noted that the initiative formed part of the Service’s reintegration and rehabilitation programmes aimed at equipping inmates with formal education and vocational skills.
It said the participation of inmates in the national examination demonstrated the Service’s commitment to transforming the lives of offenders and providing them with a second chance at life.
“We believe that education is a powerful tool for rehabilitation. By giving inmates the opportunity to write the BECE, we are helping them build a foundation for a better future upon their release,” the statement stated
It commended the teachers, prison officers, and partner institutions who had supported the candidates with tuition and learning materials in preparation for the examination.
The GPS has, in recent years intensified its efforts to promote academic and vocational training in correctional facilities across the country, in line with global best practices on the treatment and rehabilitation of prisoners
BY TIMES REPORTER
