The Islamic Mission Secretariat's Women's Wing has expressed concern about the growing number of young people in prisons and urged parents and guardians to take better care of their children to prevent them from engaging in activities that could result in incarceration.
The wing highlighted that a large proportion of inmates are within the productive age group, which is not encouraging for the nation's future if the trend persists. During the presentation of assorted items, including bags of gari, sugar, rice, boxes of soap and detergents, assorted soft drinks, toilet rolls, bags of sachet water, among others running into hundreds of Ghana Cedis, Madam Shaibu Abban, the Organizer of the Group, advised that alms-giving is one of Islam's pillars, and it increases during the Ramadan period.
The gesture was part of the Mission's social responsibility to help the less privileged in society and show compassion to make them feel not neglected but part of society. Madam Abban emphasized that anyone could end up in prison and urged other religious organizations and individuals to support prisoners as they were more vulnerable.
Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP) Abubakari Abdul Rahman Danf, the Imam, who received the items on behalf of the inmates, expressed profound gratitude to the Ahmadis for their support and kind gesture. DDP Abban assured that the Service would distribute the items to the beneficiaries.
He further thanked the Women's Wing for their concern about the increasing number of youth in prisons and encouraged them to continue their efforts to create awareness about the issue.
The gesture by the Women's Wing was well-received by the inmates, who expressed their gratitude for the items and the thoughtfulness behind the donation. Many of them shared their experiences and urged young people to stay away from activities that could land them in prison.
The Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP) Abubakari Abdul Rahman Danf also stressed the need for society to support prisoners and help them reintegrate into society after serving their sentences.
He emphasized that the Prison Service could not do it alone and needed the support of individuals, organizations, and the government to ensure that prisoners received the necessary support and resources to turn their lives around.
The event ended with a prayer for the inmates and the hope that the gesture would inspire others to support prisoners and contribute to creating a better future for them.