The Vice President of the Republic, His Excellency Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has stated that government is making efforts to reposition the Ghana Prisons Service (GPS) as an excellent centre of reformation and rehabilitation in line with modern regime and best practices in corrections management.
Dr. Bawumia said this when he inaugurated the 8th Governing Council of the Ghana Prisons Service today at the Ministry of the Interior. The council is mandated by the 1992 Constitution to advise the President on matters of policy relating to the management and maintenance the prison system of Ghana.
He said government is concerned with the challenges of the Ghana Prisons Service, especially overcrowding in the prisons and therefore charged the newly sworn-in prisons council to work towards transforming the prisons into internationally acceptable standards, adding that government will retool the service with essential logistics such as operational and utility vehicles.
“To address the issue of overcrowding properly, government remains focused on spearheading the introduction of non-Custodial sentencing as alternatives, and expansion of existing prison infrastructure,” he stressed.
Dr. Bawumia also said government is committed to the passage of the Prisons Service Bill 2021, which seeks to improve the regulatory framework with respect to the administration of some key areas and also incorporates the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules) to further engender humane treatment and rights of inmates. He charged officers
The Chairman of the Council, Most Reverend Peter Paul Yelezuome Angkyier thanked the President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the confidence reposed in them and pledged the commitment of the council to work tirelessly in collaboration with other stakeholders to ensure the reformation, transformation and rebranding of the service as enshrined in the 10-year strategic Plan of the service.
The 13-member council is made up of the Chairman, the Minister for the Interior, Honorable Ambrose Dery, the Director-General of Prisons, Mr. Isaac Kofi Egyir, Buipe-Wura, Mahama Abdulai Jinapor II, and Hon. Ophelia Mensah.
Others are Mrs. Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa of the Attorney-General’s Department, Rev. Dr. Comfort Asare-Director of the Department of Social welfare, Chief Legal Officer of the Service and representative of senior officers, Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP) Gloria Essandoh, Dr. Frank Serebour-president of the Ghana Medical Association and Mr. Vincent Kizito Beyuo Esq, president of the Ghana Bar Association.
The rest are Chief Officer Alhassan Koka, representative of junior officers, Rev. Dr. Cyril G. K. Fayose of the Christian Council of Ghana and Madam Sarah M. Asante.
