The Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Mrs. Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, announced that the Government of Ghana has approved an increase in the daily feeding allowance for prisoners from GHS 1.80 to GHS 5 cedis.
The adjustment is intended to improve inmate welfare and ensure access to adequate and nutritious meals amid rising food costs.
Speaking during the Public Accounts Committee proceedings in Parliament on Tuesday in Accra, she explained that the decision reflects the government’s commitment to upholding the dignity and well-being of prisoners.
She emphasized that the previous allocation had become insufficient, making it increasingly difficult to meet nutritional standards.
The revised grant, she added, will ease the burden on prison authorities and improve conditions for inmates nationwide.
Mrs. Baffoe-Bonnie further highlighted the Prison Service’s Director-General Kitchen Support Project, which encourages facilities across the country to establish gardens, fish ponds, poultry farms, and other livestock ventures.
These initiatives, combined with occasional support from religious bodies, have helped prisons stretch their limited resources. “We are feeding beyond 10 cedis, and it is through ingenuity,” she remarked, underscoring the creative strategies adopted to cope with financial strain.
She stressed that prison feeding is not only a welfare issue but also a matter of security and public safety. Poor diets, she explained, can trigger unrest and riots within prisons.
The Interior Minister, Mr. Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed, echoed her concerns and stressed the urgency of reforming prison feeding.
He noted that prison feeding is now recognized as a distinct budget line item, allowing for greater transparency.
The Minister outlined broader strategies for long-term sustainability, including prison industrialization projects which involve partnerships with the Ministry of Education and private actors to establish industries within prisons, producing furniture, sanitary pads, and uniforms, while creating work opportunities and additional income streams for inmates.
Judith Twumwaa, ISD
