The Church of Pentecost has defended its decision to build modern prison facilities across Ghana, describing the initiative as a clear expression of its Christian mission and a practical act of compassion.
The church’s leadership explained that the project seeks to ease overcrowding in Ghana’s prisons and offer inmates the opportunity to acquire trade skills such as carpentry and tailoring, helping them reintegrate successfully into society after completing their sentences.
Some of the correctional centres built by the church are already operational in Ejura and Nsawam, providing improved living conditions for inmates and facilities for vocational training, counselling, and rehabilitation.
Responding to public criticism that the church should have focused on building schools or hospitals instead, the Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, said the initiative is deeply rooted in the church’s understanding of the gospel’s call to care for the marginalised.
“Our greatest motivation in going to prisoners and building such facilities of comfort is from Hebrews 13:3, which says, ‘Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison.’
“And Jesus also said, ‘I was in prison and you did not visit me.’ So we are visiting them and providing a place for them as if we were in there with them,” he said.
Aps Nyamekye also said that the church sees everyone, including prisoners, as deserving of dignity and redemption.
“For us as a church, sinners are our clients, and wherever we find them, we want to go to them. It’s better to make your client feel very comfortable and be at home.
“That’s why we are building such facilities for them. We want to make sure that they are not congested. At the end of the day, we want to give them Christ and transform their lives,” he explained.
Mahama commissions Damongo Camp Prison built by Church of Pentecost
President John Dramani Mahama has officially commissioned the Damongo Camp Prison, a 300-capacity all-male correctional facility constructed and donated by the Church of Pentecost.
The newly inaugurated facility, the third of five prison projects promised by the Church following those at Ejura and Nsawam, is designed as a transformative and skill acquisition centre. It features a standard football pitch, workshops for carpentry, tailoring, and metal fabrication, as well as a chapel, dining area, and baptistery.
According to the Ghana Prisons Service, inmates at the Damongo Camp Prison will largely engage in agricultural work within the Damongo enclave as part of their rehabilitation and skills training.
In his speech, President Mahama described the project as a “powerful symbol of hope, redemption, and partnership for national renewal.” He commended the Church of Pentecost for its faith-driven contribution to national development and praised the Ghana Prisons Service for its professionalism and dedication to reform.
“This project demonstrates what can be achieved when the state, the church, and the community come together in service to humanity,” he said. “The church has shown that faith involves more than worship; it encompasses practical compassion and transformative action.”
The President reiterated government’s commitment to prison reforms, human rights, and rehabilitation, noting that incarceration should not mean the loss of dignity.
“This facility is more than just a place of confinement; it is a sanctuary for rehabilitation, a centre for second chances, and a workshop for transforming lives,” he added.
President Mahama further announced the donation of a brand-new 66-seater bus to support transportation for the Damongo Camp Prison and the wider community.
He also expressed appreciation to the Ghana Prisons Service, traditional authorities, contractors, artisans, and the people of Damongo for their cooperation in ensuring the successful completion of the project, saying, “You’ve all shown that when we work together, Ghana works better.”
It is therefore now my honour and privilege to declare the Damongo Camp Prison officially commissioned.” The president declared.
The commissioning of the Damongo Camp Prison, he noted, marked both a celebration of faith and a national call to conscience, urging other faith-based organisations and corporate bodies to emulate the Church of Pentecost’s example in supporting national development and social transformation.
