Bringing Hope to Young Offenders through Vocational Skill Training

I  am Tracy Abena Serwaa Frimpong, a young Ghanaian lawyer by profession with a strong interest in Human Rights and Criminal Law. I am motivated by a desire for a society with reduced crime rates, the respect for human rights and reduced inequalities.

I was in court when an 18 year old girl was brought by the police and charged with the offence of stealing. 

What she stole? An iPhone and a tablet. 

She pleaded guilty and with no legal representation, she was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment in hard labor. 

In her explanation to the judge, she said she sold the items she stole and send the money to her mother who was in a village in the Eastern Region. 

While observing, I thought about how this young girl’s life would be affected by the criminal conviction, and her little chances at securing a job after her sentence particularly having been convicted of the crime of stealing. 

I thought about how 6 months would quickly pass by and how this girl would most likely commit other crimes because she has no job and usually stole for her and her mother’s upkeep.

This motivated my decision to start the initiative, Reduce Recidivism  where I can contribute to the lives of young offenders by equipping them with skills they can monetize to make a decent living for themselves after serving their sentences in prison.

With the help of some of my friends who have honed their skills in soap making, bead making and braiding, we teaching young offenders in Ghana these skills, so that through entrepreneurship, they do not go back to committing crimes to fend for themselves. 

Between 29th January and 1st March, 2025, my team at Reduce Recidivism brought to life a dream that had been on my heart for several months. 

During the period mentioned above, we conducted seven (7) classes where we trained eight (8) female young offenders in Ghana, equipping them with vocational skills they can monetize after serving their sentences because I realized employment  is necessary in breaking the cycle of crime (the devil finds work for idle hands).

These skills include beading, braiding, soap making, fabric softener making and soft skills like communication skills.

This aims to break the stigma associated with ex-convicts in their search for employment and their reintegration into society. 

Certificates were awarded to participants after the training and we set up a small business for one of the juveniles who completed her term in the course of the training.

Being an ex-convict tends to shutter dreams but at Reduce Recidivism  , we are working to ensure that young offenders are not limited by the criminal records. They too can contribute to our economy through productivity and self-employment. 

We continue to bring hope to the lives of young offenders by providing self-employment opportunities to incarcerated young people with an end goal of societal reintegration and reduced crime and recidivism rates among young people in Ghana.

With three juveniles set for release this year from the Junior Girls Correctional Centre, I look forward to actively building connections and networks with people and organizations who have the aim to improve the lives of juveniles as they exit the walls of prison and step into the world.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/reduce-recidivism/