63 inmates at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison have officially graduated from the University of Cape Coast (UCC), earning degrees through the Prison Inmates Tertiary Education Programme (PITEP).
The graduates, who completed courses in Commerce (Accounting and Management options) and Education (Junior High School), received their certificates under UCC’s College of Distance Education (CoDE).
The ceremony, held inside the prison yard, was part of UCC’s 57th congregation, but more significantly, it was the first-ever graduation under PITEP—a programme turning prison sentences into academic milestones.
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PITEP, spearheaded by the NGO Plan Volta Foundation in partnership with the Ghana Prisons Service, offers inmates free access to university education while serving time. Their goal is to equip them with academic and professional skills to increase their chances of reintegration after release.
The programme is rewriting the narrative of prison life, proving that incarceration doesn’t have to be the end of the road.
For Matthew Milluzieh, the Overall Best Student of the graduating class who graduated with a CGPA of 3.8, this wasn’t just about earning a degree—it was about transformation.
We entered these walls not as students but as individuals to be reformed. Today, we are not just degree graduates but renewed and ambitious individuals who will prove wrong society’s perception that once an inmate, always a criminal.
Currently serving a 20-year sentence since 2018, Milluzieh’s academic excellence stood out. Two other inmates who achieved first class also bagged special scholarships to further their studies.
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Deputy Minister for the Interior, Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, described the graduation as a powerful testament to resilience and personal growth.
He however urged the inmates to view their accomplishments as an opportunity to become change makers and leaders to inspire others to pursue personal development and academic excellence.
This milestone is a testament to what strength, character, and commitment to personal growth and rehabilitation can accomplish.
With education now part of their reality, these graduates aren’t just leaving prison with sentences served—they’re walking out with degrees, new mindsets, and a shot at a better future.