The Ghana Prisons Service, for decades, has been trapped in an outdated image, from the drab intimidating uniforms to the perception of harsh punitive isolation. It is time for the Service to reimagine itself as a vibrant correctional institution focused on reform, reintegration, productivity, and financial independence.
The current model is unsustainable. Prisons are overcrowded, facilities are rundown, and inmates live in indignity. Yet, within those very walls lies untapped potential hundreds of human beings with time, energy, and the capacity to learn, work, and contribute.
Correctional institutions across the world have evolved. In Norway, inmates are treated with dignity and trained to live independently. In the United States, many prisons operate internal businesses from furniture making to license plate production. In Kenya and South Africa, inmates are used in farming, garment production, and even call centres. The idea is not just punishment but purposeful engagement.
In Ghana, the shameful dependence on pitiful government feeding grants, currently around GH¢1.80 per inmate per day, is an indictment on our collective vision. Why should prisons sit on arable land, idle hands, and decent sunlight and still rely on government for even a ball of kenkey? They can and must produce more than enough to feed themselves royally. Surplus can be sold to generate income. They can raise poultry, grow vegetables, bake bread, and process food products. This is not utopia; it has been done before.
When Mr. Kwame Pianim was imprisoned at Nsawam during the PNDC era, he led inmates to establish a poultry project that provided eggs and meat for inmates. That shining example proves that reform from within is possible when there is leadership and vision. This initiative can be replicated across all correctional centers. It is shameful to let a man with no sentence beyond three years waste away in a cell with no acquired skills or contribution to his own welfare.
The Ghana Prisons Service must start by rebranding its uniforms, physical outlook, language, and posture. Prisons should not look like forgotten dungeons but like campuses where humans are retrained. The correctional agenda must be backed by proper hygiene, productivity, and a commercial orientation that sees every prison as a potential contributor to national GDP.
Basic farming, tailoring, carpentry, block manufacturing, bakery, shoemaking, and many other crafts are all viable trades inmates can learn and practice. Through these, they can contribute to their upkeep, save some money, and return to society reformed and skilled.
This is not a call for luxury or pampering. It is a call for common sense, human dignity, and fiscal responsibility. A rebranded Ghana Prisons Service that earns income, feeds its inmates with pride, reduces recidivism through skills acquisition, and even contributes to national food security is not a fantasy. It is an urgent necessity.
Let the days of helpless dependence and institutional shame end. Let a new chapter of correctional vigour, decency, productivity, and financial soundness begin.
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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
