Celebrating Women in Corrections: The Sgt. Josephine Dei Kotei’s Inspiring Story

“If you would have told me a decade ago that I would one day be in a place called Malakal, I would have probably laughed it off. I mean, what are the odds?”- Sgt. Josephine Dei Kotei in an interview with Janet Adongo.

It takes more than academic laurels to become a Prison or Corrections officer, especially in our part of the world where little attention is given to the profession. This is a job many thought would have seen few women showing interest in or even dreaming to be part of but the narrative in Ghana is quite different because the country boasts of a tall list of dedicated female officers.

There are a lot of Ghanaian women who have braced the odds and joined their male counterparts to join a profession that only the fearless, brave, and bold will dare take up!

The Ghana Prisons Service can boast of 100s of women that are worth celebrating any day for their selfless stewardship including former Director General of Prisons, Matilda Baffour-Awuah; Deputy Director General of Prisons, Josephine Fredua-Agyeman (Mrs.); Director of Prisons, Patience Baffoe-Bonnie (Mrs.), Assistant Director of Prisons, Christiana Fiadjo (Mrs.) among others who have lifted the brown flag of the Ghana Prisons Service. Latest to join this crop of worth emulating female Correction Officers who have served both Ghana and the UN is Sergeant Josephine Dei Kotei of the Ghana Prisons Service Headquarters.

Education and working life in Ghana.

Her motivation to join the noble profession of brave hearts was borne out from her love to serve humanity and impact positively on the lives of inmates to help them become better persons upon discharge.

Affable Josephine Dei Kotei holds a BA in Communication Studies from the prestigious Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) and also an old student of Christian Methodist Senior High School both in Accra respectively. Prior to her secondment to the United Nations Missions In South Sudan (UNMISS), Josephine worked with the Ho Female Prison in Volta Region, James Camp Prison, Accra and the Prisons Headquarters, Accra.

Her attitude towards work was par excellence and made her stand out among her peers making her cut for an international assignment.

South Sudan Duties.

Far away on the sunny lands of South Sudan, Sergeant Josephine Dei Kotei removed the brown headgear of the Ghana Prisons Service and put on the blue headgear of the United Nations. That was where it dawned on her she was not representing the Ghana Prisons Service and the Prisons Ladies in Ghana but all women in Africa and across the Gulf of Guinea.

Her role at UN is to ensure safety, welfare and respect of basic human rights of detainees admitted into the Malakal UNMISS Detention Facility.

Josephine, basically performs operational prisons/corrections duties and by dint of hard work she is able to put her service on the world map.

Medal

Sergeant Josephine was among 10 other Corrections officers from seven different countries to receive a UN medal.

This feat chalked is a plus to herself and other young women in the Corrections Service.

She goes on to advise young female officers to be determined, humble, dedicated and exhibit professionalism in discharging their duties.