Effective reformation and reintegration of prisoners: Psycho-social support and arts therapy laudable – Prof. Benagr, Head of Theatre Arts Dep’t, UG

The Head of Department of Theatre Arts at the University of Ghana, Professor Samuel Benagr has lauded the provision of psychosocial support and arts therapy assistance to prisoners.

Psychosocial support will give prisoners mental stimulation and joy, through theatre to improve their cognitive abilities.

According to Professor Benagr the support will bring relief and rejuvenate prisoners while equipping them with some set skills to mentally withstand and prepare for difficult situations for a better life in and after prison.

Themed ‘Enhancing Access to Psychosocial Support and Arts Therapy,’ the initiative which is supported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in partnership with Crime Check Foundation (CCF) and the Ghana Prisons Service is to assist prisoners to be resilient and be able to cope, especially in challenging situations.

Appearing on ‘Behind the News’, a current affairs news programme on Radio Ghana, Professor Samuel Benagr who is a co-author of a manual on Psychosocial Support and Arts Therapy indicated that the initiative will help prisoners manage thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. This, he said will enhance the prisoners’ self-awareness, and give them a sense of belonging.

“The intervention involves developing coping strategies, challenging negative thoughts, and practicing new behaviours. This will encourage individuals to focus on the present moment through exercises like deep breathing, progressive materialization, and guided meditation,” he explained.

Professor Benagr said the manual has been designed with theatrical games tied directly into giving prisoners the confidence to communicate, learn skills of negotiation and problem-solving which will help them reintegrate into society without stress.

“There are specific games that are supposed to tease out certain skill sets and also help them to build on certain aspects of their life so that when the moment comes for them to reintegrate into society, they are well prepared and they are able to negotiate those things,” he said.

The manual, he said will be a guide to build the capacity of prisoner officers to be able to provide psychosocial and arts therapy assistance to prisoners.

The prison officers would screen inmates to identify the various psycho-social and arts therapy needs of inmates and provide them with the needed social and psychological assistance.

So far seventy-six (76) prison officers and one-thousand and fifty-four (1,054) prisoners have received training from seven (7) selected prison establishments across the country.

The beneficiary prisons are the Nsawam Medium Security, Kumasi Central, Sunyani Central, Koforidua Local, Winneba Local, Awutu Camp, and Ho Central Prisons.