Prisons Director-General urges urgent reforms to improve inmate conditions
By Solomon Nartey Tetteh
The Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Mrs Patience Baffoe-Bonnie (ESQ), has disclosed that the Mahama government approved an upward adjustment of the daily feeding allowance for inmates from GHS1.80 to GHS5, although the funds are yet to be released.
She revealed that until recently, prison authorities had been struggling to feed each inmate on GHS1.80 per day, a situation she described as grossly inadequate and a major cause of unrest in the country’s prisons.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee on Tuesday, 30th September, Mrs Baffoe-Bonnie cautioned that poor feeding conditions have far-reaching consequences.
“Once the feeding is wrong, it has ripple effects on health and every other thing. We are hopeful the GHS5 a day will be increased in the course of 2026 to reflect the needs of a disgruntled adult behind bars,” she said.
Mrs Baffoe-Bonnie noted prison authorities depend heavily on food from prison gardens, a small fish pond and donations from churches and benevolent groups.
Despite these efforts, she warned that inadequate feeding often triggers riots, endangering the lives of prison officers.
“One of the key reasons inmates riot is food. And when that happens, the prison officer becomes the first target before any intervention,” she explained.
The Prisons boss underscored the need for comprehensive reforms to improve prison conditions and ensure inmate welfare.
“If we want serious public safety in this country, we must prioritise the needs of prisoners. They are part of us, they will return to society, and we never know who will be our next guest,” she stressed.
