Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee Engages Ghana Prisons Service on Welfare and Reform Needs

The Committee on Defence and Interior, as part of its oversight mandate, paid a working visit to the Ghana Prisons Service to assess challenges facing the institution and explore ways Parliament can support ongoing reforms.

During the engagement, the Committee was informed that the Ghana Prisons Service remains the least paid among the country’s security services, a situation affecting morale and performance.

In a presentation on behalf of the Director- General, the Chief Legal Officer, DDP Charles Ameyaw, highlighted critical issues including overcrowded prison facilities, inadequate health infrastructure, insufficient logistics, and low feeding rates for inmates.

He appealed to Members of Parliament to consider supporting the service through their common fund allocations and legislative advocacy. He cited the Koforidua prison, originally built for 100 inmates, now housing over 500 prisoners.

Chairman of the Committee and MP for Builsa North, James Agalga assured the leadership of the Prisons Service of the Committee’s commitment to pushing for necessary reforms.

He pledged to engage the Minister for the Interior on urgent matters raised and called for enhanced infrastructure to meet rising inmate populations. Director- General, Mrs. Patience Baffoe-Bonnie also appealed for support to mechanize agriculture within the service as a long-term strategy to boost prison sustainability and improve officer welfare.