Prioritizing the Conditions of Service of Ghanaian Prison Officers: An Open Letter to President John Dramani Mahama

“Security is not supposed to be segregated. It has got to be coordinated, cooperatives, and collaborative. I’m one person who has always been against placing one security agency above the other, leading to a war of egos and superiority complexes with all its negative consequences for national security and cohesions. Let’s see all sectors as one homogenous group and treat all of them equally.” - Mohammed Abdul Hanan El-Saeed (Security Strategist and West African Subregion Security Observer)

Dear President John Dramani Mahama,
I extend my warmest congratulations to you on your election as the President of Ghana. I am hopeful that, your administration will pay attention to the plights of officers of the Ghana Prisons Service. We believe that, with your support, we can improve the lives of our officers and our working conditions. A happy, and a financially stable prison officer is a conduit for an effective prison administration.

Mr. President, it is very early days in your government but kindly make time to go through this letter coming from the depths of my troubled heart. The Honourable minister for Interior, during his vetting brought me to tears when he admitted that, this noble service which is 174 years old and 60 years as an autonomous entity have been orphaned for too long and needs to be paid attention to.

Sir, it is enshrined in Article 205 of the 1992 constitution that, “There shall be a Prisons Service of Ghana.

(2) The Prisons Service shall be equipped and maintained to perform its traditional role efficiently.

Your Excellency, the Ghana Prisons Service, from “1850, through to 1875, when it was a Department under the Gold Coast Police Force and then in 1916 when the first ever legal document was passed; the Prisons Department was decoupled from the Police Force and made an entity under the Civil Service.”

“The enactment of the Prisons Service Act (ACT 221) was aimed at transforming the department into a Service. By 1^st January, 1964, the Prisons Department became autonomous and separated from the Civil Service and renamed the Ghana Prisons Service”-Assistant Director of Prisons Awolugutu A.R.K (Rtd) (2015), The Ghana Prisons Service in Retrospect, Challenges and the way Forward.

Mr. President, it has been 60 years of nothing to write home about conditions of service for officers who lay down their lives and lock themselves up with societal misfits so the Ghanaian citizenry have a peaceful day and night out.

These selfless, committed and hardworking men and women of the noble service that keep making the country a better place have been starved, neglected and crippled of logistics and better working conditions for far too long.

Your Excellency, respectfully I would not want to take much of your time so I have detailed below the most essential areas that you need to pay attention to and act on to salvage b the low morale of officers caused by eyesore working conditions.

Vehicles
Your Excellency, I am writing this letter with a heavy heart because of the stress, trauma and embarrassment we go through because of the lack of operational vehicles.

It’s utterly unacceptable that many of Ghana’s 48 prison institutions continues to operate without access to reliable vehicles and utility vehicles, hindering the effective discharge of duties by officers and compromising the welfare of both officers and prisoners. The lack of transportation hampers the timely conveyance of prisoners to courts, hospitals, and other essential destinations, while also impeding officer’s ability to respond promptly to emergencies and maintain order within the facilities. The lack of transportation also hampers smooth movement of officers attending official events.

You did us a lot of good in 2016 by providing us with mini-buses, pick-ups and saloon cars; so we believe the Lord will touch your kind heart to pay heed to us once more. shttps://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/president-presents-vehicles-to-4-security-agencies.html#google_vignette

Your Excellency, bring some smiles on our faces by prioritizing the provision of vehicles to all facilities ensuring that officers have access to the vehicles they need to maintain safe, secure, and humane working conditions.

Housing Deficit
Mr. President, another pressing concern that requires your urgent attention is the housing deficit faced by gallant prison officers across the country. Most of us are forced to rent at exorbitant prices because of the insufficient rooms at the official barracks. The initial plan and nature of our barracks was such that, 1 officer was to 2 rooms but due to the increase staff strength, we live in small single rooms with our families and belongings together with sharing ablution facilities with colleagues.

This not only affect our personal well-being but also impacts our ability to perform our duties effectively. Furthermore, the lack of decent housing comes to worsen the already challenging nature of our work leading to low morale. Due to the unavailability of rooms in official barracks, most of us stay outside and are not able to respond to emergencies.

Your Excellency, I respectfully implore you to prioritize the construction of modern and affordable housing units for prison officers, making sure we have a safe, conducive and serene place to call a home. This is our time to feel we are not orphans and we deserve the best just as our compatriots in the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service.

Delayed Rent Allowance
Mr. President, I humbly bring to your attention the constant delays in the payment of non-salary allowances, especially rent allowance for officers who stay outside official barracks .It is enshrined in our Constitutional Instrument 92, Section 70 (1) that, The Service shall, at the end of each month, pay a rent allowance to an officer who does not live in accommodation provided by the Service. (2) The rent allowance is twenty percent of the basic salary of the officer. The rent allowance is now being paid in quarters but still delays for months.

This has resulted in financial stress because officers are forced to “perform magic” to pay off while waiting for the rent allowance to be paid. Currently officers are facing ejection threats from property owners, embarrassments, and having no choice than to succumb to staying in areas that are not conducive for an officer.

Your Excellency, we are in 2025 but officers are still standing by for some arrears of 2024. Please, pay attention to our plights and rescue poor officers living on their salaries. Respectfully, together with my colleagues we urge you to intervene and ensure that, rent allowance are paid promptly and regularly to alleviate the financial hardship and embarrassments faced by officers.

Colleagues at Bawku Local Prison
Mr. President, until the unending conflict in Bawku, our colleagues there called the place home; but now they work amidst fear and panic; coupled with the harsh conditions they live in with their families, it is my prayer their conditions touches your heart so you expedite the Prisons Risk Allowance in addition to providing them protective gears against stray amour and violent indigenes.

Prisons Risk Allowance
Your Excellency, this much anticipated allowance, if rolled out and added to our salaries, would have a positive impact on our morale and productivity considering the risk and sacrifices we face each day.

Gallant Prison Officers work in a high-risk environment, exposed to violent and unpredictable inmates, as well as the risk of contracting diseases such as tuberculosis and other communicable diseases. The Prisons Risk Allowance will recognize the hazards and dangers inherent in our line of duty, providing compensation for the risks we take to maintain order and security within and outside of the prison walls.

The Prisons Risk Allowance would serve as a motivator for prison officers, encouraging us to perform our duties with diligence and dedication. By recognizing the risks and challenges faced by prison officers, the allowance would demonstrate a commitment to their wellbeing and career progression and development.

Many countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, provide prison risk allowance to their prison officers. By introducing the Prisons Risk Allowance, Ghana would be aligning itself with international best practices in recognizing the unique challenges and risks faced by prison officers.

Mr. President, the prisons risk allowance would help to bridge the gap in benefits between prison officers and their counterparts in other security agencies.

Accoutrements
Your Excellency, one other thing that whips up the morale of gallant men and women of this noble service is the constant provision of accoutrements to aid our work. Mostly we buy some of these accoutrements ourselves for the love of the job. Essentially, officers need to be provided with handcuffs, Pepper spray, Uniforms (materials/already made), boots, Helmets, Stab vests, Body cameras, Radio (Mobile Gota), and Tasers for safety and security of the officer against inmates and civilian aggression.

Mr. President, officers need these accoutrements on them every day to stand up against rowdy or mentally challenged inmates who keep attacking officers without provocation. The Body cameras will be useful at our Gates, while on external escorting and during Routine Searches. Sir, it will be difficult for me to recollect the last time I received a set of uniforms but then again, we have no other option than to appear neat and not dare walk about in faded uniforms and worn out boots. Sadly, we now resort to dying our uniforms in order to prevent them from fading and prolong its life-span.

https://www.myjoyonline.com/suspected-mp-killer-attempted-to-stab-prison-officer-court-told/

Your Excellency, we feel demoralized when colleagues in other sister agencies are being resourced, but I believe after reading this letter, you are going to make us feel worthy of serving the nation.

Service Council
Article 206 of the 1992 constitution of Ghana states about The Prions Service Council and its composition with the (a), stating boldly that, The Vice President, shall be the Chairman of the Council. Mr. President, respectfully, I believe the framers of the constitution made it a point to make the Vice President the Chair so to be privy with our dire concerns and act on them.

I humbly pray you give it a second thought and make the Vice President the Chair of our Council or get a top-notch technical personality who understands our silence and body language.

Your Excellency, I wish you all the best in your tenure, sir.

Yours Sincerely,
Corporal Emmanuel Boateng Agyemfra
CC:
1. Vice President of Ghana, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang

2.Minister for Interior, Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak

3.Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson

4.National Security Coordinator, DCOP Abdul Osman Razak

5.Fair Wages and Salaries Commission
6.United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

The writer is a Prison Officer and a Development Communicator and can be contacted on [email protected]/+233-249542342