Deputy Minister-Designate for the Interior, Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, has called for major reforms in Ghana’s prison system, proposing innovative solutions to tackle overcrowding and infrastructure challenges.
During his vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee, Terlabi suggested exploring partnerships with the private sector to build and manage prisons, similar to models used in the United States.
He argued that such collaborations could ease the financial burden on the government while improving prison conditions.
He also proposed relocating certain prisons from prime urban areas to larger facilities on the outskirts of cities, where land is more affordable and space is more readily available.
According to him, repurposing these high-value locations for other developments while constructing modern, spacious prisons in less congested areas could be a viable long-term solution.
“There is this idea of partnering with private institutions to build prisons and renting them out like it is happening in the US. We would have to look at that,” Terlabi noted.
He further emphasized the need for careful evaluation and stakeholder engagement before implementing such changes.
“Some of the prisons are sitting in prime areas and they can be relocated. We can partner with the private sector to put up bigger places outside where you can get cheaper land. But that will also require serious discussions and a cost-benefit analysis.”
His remarks highlight growing concerns over Ghana’s prison conditions, with calls for innovative policies to enhance infrastructure and improve the welfare of inmates.
