2 non-violent prisoners released for Christmas after FFTP pays their fines
Thanks to Food for the Poor (Guyana) Inc., two non-violent prisoners have on Monday been released from jail, and are back home with their families in time for the holidays.
At a ceremony for these two inmates’ release from prison, FFTP (Guyana) Inc’s CEO Kent Vincent encouraged the prisoners to pray and work hard. Food hampers that included lunch, loaves of bread, personal care items and a Bible were given to each of these former inmates.
“Mistakes happen, but (the prisoners) should set their lives in order. Let God be the focus of their lives, and always show the kindness they received from Food For The Poor to others,” he said.
According to a statement from the NGO, twice a year – at Christmas and Easter – for more than two decades, it has honoured the tradition of securing the release of nonviolent offenders throughout the Caribbean and Latin America by paying their accumulated fines.
Generous donors who support the charity’s Prison Ministry have also been thanked.
“Many were arrested for stealing to feed their families, or for something that would be considered a minor offence; and later held in some of the most notorious prisons throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, unable to pay the fines for their release,” the statement noted.
Since the inception of the FFTP Prison Ministry Programme in 1998, it has assisted in freeing, training, and reintroducing prisoners back into the community as productive citizens.