Mt Olivet Meth Church supports James Camp Prisons

Metro (lead) Feb. 12/2008

Story & Pic: Charles Benoni Okine

THE Officer in charge of the James Camp Prisons on the premises of the Borstal Institute, Assistant Director of Prisons (ADP) Mr Darko Missah, has urged society to open-heartedly accept freed prisoners into their fold as part of the reformation process.
“If you do not stigmatise them but accept and counsel them as one of you, they will be better reformed and not be tempted to go back to their old ways,” he added.
Mr Missah gave the advice when he received assorted food items from the Mount Olivet Methodist Church, Dansoman.
The items included loaves of bread, bags of rice and sugar, toiletries and Bibles, and the gesture formed part of the church's contribution towards the upkeep of prisoners in the country.
Mr Missah said there were three categories of inmates within the prisons and the third group were people who, as a result of neglect by society, and which included their families and friends, got back to their old ways only to be brought back to the prison.
“We believe that if society accepts them open-heartedly, they will stay at home and practise what they have learnt during the reformation process at the prisons,” he added.
Mr Missah expressed the gratitude of the prison to the church for the gesture and expressed the hope that other groups would emulate its example and help bring comfort and hope to the inmates.
“Through prayers and words of exhortation, they feel at home and want to be back into society to contribute their quota to national development and we are happy the Mount Olivet Methodist Church has come to worship with them and also to give them something to live on,” he said.
The leader of the delegation, Reverend Richardson Andam, told the inmates not to be discouraged because “Jesus is a universal saviour and will save you”.
“Jesus came to cleanse all humans from their sinful ways and is ready to forgive those who sin and repent of their sins. Therefore, be strong and believe in the Lord Jesus because he is there to save you,” he added.
It was an emotional period when the Reverend asked the inmates to pray for forgiveness from God.
Almost all of them were heard praying very loudly with some in tears and after they had finished, the James Camp choir, solely made up of inmates of the camp, sang praises and Methodist hymnals to the amusement of the visitors.
The Co-ordinator of Evangelism of the church, Mr Asibri Annan, also gave the inmates some words of exhortation and asked them to open their hearts to receive Christ as their saviour.