“I was interdicted along with three other officers over a shooting incident. So I went to celebrate the Easter holidays in Kwahu with my other police friends. They went to fight in Kwahu. They attended school in Nkawkaw Secondary School. So when they called me about the fight, I wore my ‘camou’ (uniform) and followed them. The fight was reported to the police, and it turned out the person we beat was a police officer’s child…. So the case was called in court and I got jailed for eighteen months. I was jailed because I wore the police uniform whilst I was on interdiction,” he stated.
During the interview, the former officer recounted his experiences as a service personnel turned inmate. He narrated the challenges he faced and the impact the experience has had on his life.
“The Koforidua Prison was very hot. We used to sleep on a blanket on the floor and not on a bed. It is very sad to leave your work and come inside here and waste your time. I get moody when I step out,” he recounted.
Nana Ama McBrown’s initiative has been widely praised for its compassion and generosity, and for given the inmates a second chance at life and an opportunity to reintegrate into society.