Veep Clears Prisons Service To Recruit 1,000 Officers

Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has announced that the Ghana Prisons Service has been given approval to recruit a total of 1000 officers to address the wide gap in the ratio of prisoners to officers.

Dr Bawumia, who inaugurated a 13-member council for the Prisons Service on Tuesday, indicated that he is aware of the ratio of personnel to inmates in the Ghana Prisons Service, “a reason why the performance of our prisons service falls far below the required UN recommended standard”.

“To address this gap, government has requested the prisons service to initiate the process of recruitment to increase the personnel level and improve on our services. The Ghana Prisons Service has been given approval to recruit 1,000 personnel to make progress to meet international best practices in prison administration,” he indicated.

Dr Bawumia noted that the skills and competence of the council members should be applied to direct policy and implement systems that will improve the country's prisons.

He further charged the council to put in measures to ease congestion in the prisons and additionally demanded an end to human rights abuses in the country's correctional facilities.

“All over the world, the prisons philosophy is change for the rehabilitation of offenders with the aim to reintegrate them back to society to play the roles we all expect them to play,” he added.

Dr Bawumia highlighted the need for expansion of the country's prisons, provision of modern facilities, tools for rehabilitation and trained personnel to manage the inmates properly.