Fair Justice Initiative (FJI), a non-governmental organization committed to improving the lives of prisoners and ex-convicts in Ghana, has premiered a documentary film titled ‘Worlds Apart’, which focuses on prison life and reformation in Ghana.
The 37-minute-long documentary film, shot between February and September 2020, and set in the Nsawam Medium Security Prison in the Akuapim South Municipality of the Eastern Region, also highlights the effect of the neglect of mental health in the country and its possible connections to crime and incarceration.
Speaking to Citi News during the premiere and fundraiser held at Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra, the Founder and Executive Director of FJI, Femi Adetola, said the project seeks to demonstrate the various ways her organization and the greater Ghananian community can support incarcerated people to improve their mental health while training them to acquire technical and vocational skills.
She reiterated the importance of women empowerment through education to enable them to have access to a variety of options which can help them make better life choices.
“The film is to spotlight the easily forgotten and recognize them as humans with identities more complex than their incarcerated status. While they are indeed imprisoned, their imprisonment need not serve as a constant black cloud that thwarts their future reintegration into society,” she explained.
Fair Justice Initiative (FJI) is a Ghanaian non-governmental organization (NGO) working primarily with inmates of the Nsawam Medium Security Prison with the mission to combat discrimination and prejudice against current and former inmates, ensure equal access to effective legal representation and improve the conditions of confinement in Ghanaian prisons.
The organization advocates for the removal of economic, educational and social barriers to achieve justice and dignity for all those who interact with the criminal justice system through projects such as “Remember Me.”
The organization, with backing from Ampem Chambers Barristers & Solicitors, runs a legal aid clinic at the Nsawam Prison and also provides pro-bono representation in criminal law matters covering prosecutorial misconduct, unfair trials, human rights infringements and public interest.
The organization also partners local artists, academics and business entrepreneurs to provide care packages, medical support and improvements to the educational and skills opportunities available to clients and other inmates of Nsawam Prison.