Director-General of the Ghana Prison Service, Isaac Kofi Egyir, has revealed that the institution has been spending GH¢1.80 per prisoner per day on food since 2011.
This information came to light in response to a query posed by Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, a Member of PAC and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Bulsa South. Dr. Apaak sought clarification on the daily feeding expenditure for each inmate during a session of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament in Accra.
Further questioning from Dr. James Klutse Avedzi, the Chairman of PAC and NDC MP for Ketu North, prompted the Director-General to elaborate on how he manages the situation with the allocated GH¢1.80 budget per prisoner.
Mr Egyir, in his response, said: “We have farms all over the country and it is our farms that have stood in since the problems of feeding arose. And this is what we are doing to complement the government’s efforts in feeding the inmates.”
During the PAC session, Dr. James Klutse Avedzi, Chairman of PAC and NDC MP for Ketu North, expressed concerns about the Ghana Prison Service’s ability to sustain feeding without support from farming activities.
He highlighted that without such support, feeding the inmates could become extremely challenging.
In response, the Deputy Minister for Interior, Madam Naana Eyiah, acknowledged the issue and assured that the government would take action to address the GH¢1.80 allocation.
The Ghana Prisons Service plays a significant role as a key stakeholder in Ghana’s Criminal Justice System.
Its primary objectives include maintaining internal security and operating an efficient, humane, and secure reformatory penal system in accordance with Ghanaian laws.
The service is dedicated to the safe custody, humane treatment, reformation, rehabilitation, and reintegration of inmates, with the ultimate goal of fostering responsible, productive, and law-abiding citizens to ensure public safety.