A 35-year-old ex-convict, Dennis Kwaku Agyei, has shared the harsh realities of prison life and the emotional toll of societal rejection, urging Ghanaians to show compassion to those seeking reintegration after serving their time.
“Prison is not place for anybody to go there,” he said, recounting his two-and-a-half-year sentence with deep regret.
Agyei, a native of Susuanso in the Tano North Municipality of the Ahafo Region, was jailed in 2022 for stealing a mobile phone and discharged in 2024. He admits to committing the crime but says the experience has left him determined to turn over a new leaf.
“I have the intention to do something decent for living, however there is no support for me now,” he said.
Since regaining his freedom, Agyei has struggled to reintegrate into society. He says the stigma from friends and even family members has left him isolated and depressed.
“Even my relations and close friends don’t want to associate with me any longer. In fact, I am socially excluded, an emotional pain which is giving me sleepless night,” he lamented.
“The social stigma is too much for me to cope with. I don’t want to go back to prison and I am begging society to accept me,” he added in a shaky voice.
Agyei urged the youth to steer clear of trouble, saying the pain and humiliation of prison life are not worth it.
“Since I returned back from prison in January 2024, life hasn’t been easy for me. Nobody wants to associate with me, not even my relations,” he noted.
He appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to champion reintegration efforts for ex-convicts and create pathways for them to rebuild their lives.
“I know that other ex-convicts are also going through the same experiences I am going through. We plead with President Mahama to come to our aid and support us to get something worth doing and to build our lives,” he said.
Agyei believes many former inmates could become productive citizens if given a second chance, particularly through access to agricultural projects and vocational support.
He also called on the President to improve prison conditions across the country, noting that poor sanitation, overcrowding, and general neglect worsen inmates’ experiences.
He said: “The poor sanitary condition at the country’s prisons coupled with congestion and other challenges turned to hardening, instead of reforming the inmates.”
