Govt embarks on major reforms of Prisons Service
The government is embarking on major reforms to modernise and strengthen the Ghana Prisons Service to improve the welfare of both inmates and officers, the Vice-President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has said.
She said the next fiscal cycle of the Prisons Service would receive major infrastructure investments and capacity-building support.
The Vice-President explained that the interventions were to empower the service to fulfil its constitutional mandate of safe custody, humane treatment, and inmate reformation in line with international standards.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang, who was speaking at the commissioning of Officer Cadet Course Intake 32, added that it would enhance operational efficiency, strengthen officer welfare, and elevate the dignity of persons in custody.
“As part of President John Dramani Mahama's agenda, the Prisons Service recently launched a Think Prison 360 Degree Initiative, a project to transform the service into a modern, secure, and self-sustaining institution,” she added.
Parade
The Cadet Course Intake 32 comprised 265 Officer Cadets –162 males and 103 females.
The course commenced with an orientation at the Ankaful Training Centre on Friday, December 17, 2024.
It marked the beginning of a structured three-phase training programme designed to produce disciplined, competent and service-oriented correctional officers.
Neatly dressed in their ceremonial yellow and black uniforms, the officer cadets formed a guard of honour parade which impressed the reviewing officer, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang, as well as the High Command of the Prisons Service, family, relatives and friends of the commissioned officers.
Outstanding graduates and others were rewarded for excellence and their contributions to the service.
In attendance were the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak; the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Samuel Basintale Amadu; the Economic Policy Advisor to the Vice-President, Dr Sharif Mahmud Khalid, and senior officers of the Prisons Service.
Feeding grants
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang further mentioned the increase in feeding grants for the 14,000 inmates in the country.
She said it formed part of a broader commitment to deepen humane reforms in the years ahead, adding that the government’s recent amnesty for 998 inmates was a statement of mercy and a reminder that true justice required compassion and a belief in second chances.
The Vice-President also highlighted a range of industrial and economic ventures being rolled out in the service.
They include plans for large-scale manufacturing of textiles, furniture, sanitary products, and construction materials, all geared towards job creation and boosting internally generated revenue.
“These ventures turn incarceration into innovation and provide inmates with skills, work experience, and hope for reintegration into society,” she said.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang further announced the launch of the President’s Improvement and Sustainability Pessoa Fund, inviting citizens, institutions, and development partners to invest in inmate rehabilitation and reformation.
Commendation
The Vice-President commended the Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, for her professionalism and transformational agenda.
She advised the new officers to uphold the service’s core values of discipline, humanity and excellence, while encouraging more female participation in future recruitment cycles.
