Prison officers must uphold integrity, respect inmates’ rights — Veep

November 2, 2026

2 minutes read

Vice President Professor Opoku-Agyemang inspecting the parade for Cadet Course Intakes at Adansi Fumso in the Ashanti Region

THE Vice-President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has urged newly commissioned officers of the Ghana Prisons Service to uphold integrity, respect human dignity and resist the temptation to use their positions for personal gain.

She said promotion came with greater responsibility and required officers to maintain high standards of discipline, professionalism and accountability.

Addressing the commissioning parade for Cadet Course Intakes 33, 34 and 35 at Adansi Fumso in the Ashanti Region last Friday, she urged the officers to be firm without being oppressive and compassionate without compromising discipline.

She reminded them that imprisonment was a punishment imposed by law and should never be used as an excuse for humiliation or abuse.

The Vice-President said the Ghana Prisons Service had responsibilities beyond keeping inmates in custody.

“It must also protect the public and provide inmates with opportunities for rehabilitation,” she said.

She gave an assurance that the government remained committed to improving the welfare of prison officers and inmates, as well as providing the equipment and professional training needed to strengthen the service.

As part of efforts to improve conditions in prisons, she said the government had increased the daily feeding allowance for inmates from GH¢1.80 to GH¢5.

She also cited the commissioning of the Damongo Camp Prison and the government’s commitment to completing the remand facility at Nsawam.

Professor Opoku-Agyemang said the Community Service Act, 2026, and the Prisons Regulations, 2026, would provide alternatives to imprisonment for eligible offenders.

She explained that the measures would allow some offenders to undertake supervised community service or serve portions of their sentences in the community under appropriate conditions.

She, however, stressed that public safety and accountability must guide the implementation of the measures.

The Vice-President also called for improved case management to help reduce overcrowding in prisons.

She said the government had taken steps to strengthen healthcare delivery in prisons through the establishment of a prisons health directory and the upgrading of prison infirmaries.

She further disclosed that the Ghana Prisons Service had been allocated slots under the One Million Coders Programme to enable officers, their dependants and inmates to acquire digital skills.

On rehabilitation, she said prison farms continued to play an important role in equipping inmates with practical agricultural skills while helping to meet their food needs.

She said the government had provided tractors, fertilisers, seeds and other agricultural inputs to support farming activities in the prisons.

Professor Opoku-Agyemang also appealed to families, employers, religious leaders and communities to support former inmates who had reformed and were seeking to rebuild their lives.

She said stigma and discrimination could undermine rehabilitation efforts and urged society to give former inmates a fair opportunity to contribute to national development.

The Vice-President commended the graduating officers for their service and urged them to uphold the Constitution, professional standards and the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, also known as the Nelson Mandela Rules.

BY AGNES OPOKU SARPONG

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