The Ghana Prisons Service has cautioned the public to deny inmates who beg for money on the street while on duty.

The act, according to the Service, is not accepted and not part of their training; therefore, people are not obliged to give to inmates when they beg.

This is in response to a Joy Prime viewer’s question on why prisoners beg when they go out to work.

The Chief Public Relations Officer of the Service, Chief Superintendent of Prisons (CSP) Vitalis Aiyeh, who was explaining to Mapito Sebidi on Prime Morning, said, “This is an individual who is out there working and may just have caught the sympathy of the public. He has begged; you’re not actually obliged to give it to him. They’re not supposed to beg for money.”

He added that it is preferable for benevolent persons to move to the nearest station and officially donate to support all inmates. He said giving to one inmate can be a threat to the institution.

“If you want to give the prisoner money, come to where he is, and then it’s recorded and given to him because it’s a threat and not the best to give a prisoner money which he can use to run away from us. So we don’t encourage it,” he added.

The prison is believed to be a hell for criminals, so people become cautious of ex-convicts, tagging them as villains. This makes them (ex-convicts) feel neglected in society.

But CSP Vitalis Aiyeh has encouraged the public not to be afraid of prisoners or ex-convicts but rather support them.

“The prison should be seen as everybody’s home. By default, anybody could be in prison. So let’s see those in there; they will be our neighbours tomorrow. So, whatever treatment they need to come out looking better, let’s give it to them. It doesn’t matter how small…” he pleaded.

As part of the support, he appealed to private individuals to help cater for the inmates and improve the Service, as the government cannot do it alone.