President John Dramani Mahama has inaugurated a new prison camp in Damongo in the Savannah Region to enhance the rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates into society.
The modern facility, constructed and funded by the Church of Pentecost, was designed to accommodate about 260 inmates.
It is equipped with a skills training centre for carpentry and tailoring, an administration block, a chapel that doubles as a classroom, kitchen, dining hall, laundry, inmates’ washrooms, seven sentry posts, two mechanised boreholes, offices, an infirmary, a visitors’ lounge, a shop, CCTV installations, and other ancillary and recreational amenities.
The project forms part of the “Safety and Security Project” under the Church’s Possessing the Nations agenda, which seeks to construct modern correctional facilities in selected parts of the country to support national rehabilitation efforts.
The facility, the third of its kind constructed by the church, was aimed at easing overcrowding in the country’s prisons while promoting the rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates through skills training.
Reforms
President Mahama described the prison camp as “a sanctuary for rehabilitation, a centre for second chances, and a workshop for transforming lives”.
An Administrative Block of the Prison Camp in Damongo
He said the ultimate goal of punishment was to reform and reintegrate, and not to reject.
“This facility affirms the timeless truth that nation-building is not the sole responsibility of government, but a collective moral endeavour of all who believe in the inherent dignity and potential of every human being,” the President said.
While commending the Church of Pentecost for initiating the project, he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to implementing far-reaching reforms in the Ghana Prisons Service.
It would include expanding the use of alternative sentencing for minor and non-violent offences, reviewing bail conditions to prevent undue hardship, especially for the poor, and introducing a parole system to reward good behaviour and facilitate reintegration.
President Mahama expressed concern over the abandoned 800-capacity remand prison at Nsawam, initiated by his administration in 2016, and gave an assurance that the government would ensure the completion of the project to reduce overcrowding and improve correctional infrastructure for men, women and juveniles.
Commendation
The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, also commended the Church of Pentecost for the initiative, describing it as a significant contribution to improving prison infrastructure across the country.
He said inmates at the facility would receive training in manufacturing, tailoring, furniture production, and agro-processing, and would also produce items for both the government and the public.
The minister also said that the Prisons Service was being supported to undertake large-scale farming, including poultry and vegetable cultivation, to feed inmates and the general public.
“These reform efforts are in line with the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, and the Nelson Mandela Rules, which all aim at making the justice system fairer, more humane, and more effective,” he said.
Challenges
For her part, the Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, lamented the logistical and infrastructural challenges facing the service, adding that overcrowded and makeshift facilities had exposed officers to extreme stress for years.
She appealed for the introduction of a contagious disease allowance and improvement in general service conditions to boost morale among officers.
“A prison officer spends at least eight hours daily within the walls of the prison with over 3,000 high-risk inmates under very limited resources, yet we continue to deliver,” the D-G added.
Mrs Baffoe-Bonnie further cited inadequate accommodation, poor working environments, and a lack of incentives as factors contributing to high stress levels, health issues, and rising mortality rates among inmates.
Pentecost Church
The Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Dr Eric Kwabena Nyamekye, said the Damongo facility was the third of its kind built by the church, following similar projects at Ejura and Nsawam.
“For us, sinners are our clients, and we look for them wherever they can be found, even in prisons," he said.
He added that the Church’s mission was not only to save souls but also to empower, transform, and reintegrate individuals as productive members of society.
Writer's email: mohammed.fugu@graphic.com.gh
