Since 2011, Isaac Kofi Egyir, the Director-General of the Ghana Prison Service, has disclosed that the organization has allocated GH¢1.80 per inmate daily for food expenses.
During a session of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in Accra, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, a Member of PAC and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Bulsa South, raised a query regarding the daily food expenses for each prisoner. It was in response to this inquiry that the Director-General of the Ghana Prison Service, Isaac Kofi Egyir, disclosed the allocation of GH¢1.80 per inmate per day for food since 2011.
Following additional questioning from Dr. James Klutse Avedzi, the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and NDC Member of Parliament (MP) for Ketu North, the Director-General, Isaac Kofi Egyir, provided further details on how he handles the situation within the allocated budget of GH¢1.80 per inmate.
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.”
Dr. James Klutse Avedzi, the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and NDC Member of Parliament (MP) for Ketu North, raised concerns during the PAC session regarding the Ghana Prison Service’s dependency on farming activities to sustain their feeding program.
He emphasized that in the absence of such support, providing food for the inmates could pose significant challenges.
In acknowledgment of the concern, Deputy Minister for Interior, Madam Naana Eyiah, affirmed that the government is aware of the matter and reassured that appropriate measures would be taken to address the GH¢1.80 allocation.
The Ghana Prisons Service holds a prominent position as a crucial stakeholder within 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 primary objective of the Ghana Prisons Service is to ensure the secure confinement, compassionate care, transformation, rehabilitation, and successful reintegration of inmates into society. By aiming to cultivate responsible, productive, and law-abiding individuals, the service endeavors to promote public safety.
