At the passing out parade of 493 Prisons Service recruit intake 123 at the Prison Service Officers Training School in Accra, the Hon. Deputy Minister for the Interior, Naana Eyiah reiterated Government’s continuous commitment to resource the Ghana Prisons Service and other security services by improving the manpower base of the Services.
She noted that the recruitment and passing out of the Officers is a great boost to the staff strength and operational capacity of the Ghana Prisons Service and an avenue for employment for thousands of Ghanaians.
According to her, the Ghana Prisons Service plays an important role in the security architecture of the country by ensuring the rehabilitation and reintegration of people who come into contact with the criminal justice system and therefore, Government will do all it can to support the Service.
She indicated that it is time to implement digital record-keeping systems, biometric identification, and security surveillance which will go a long way to enhance the overall management and security of the prisons in the country.
To truly serve its purpose, she added that the Ghana Prisons Service requires considerable investment in capacity building and that Government is committed to supporting the training and education of the personnel of the Ghana Prisons Service with knowledge and skills necessary to handle any challenges confronting the profession.
The Deputy Minister explained that the specialized training will include training in quality inmate management, security protocols in prison facilities, healthcare, and counselling and mentoring of prisoners so that the Officers will become a pillar of a secure and civilized prison environment.
Hon. Naana Eyiah noted that the Ghana Prisons Service is a state security agency legally mandated to manage the prison system in the country but to discharge its mandate of ensuring safe custody and welfare of prisoners presents challenges. She, therefore, called for more collaboration with Non-Governmental Organizations (NOGs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to support the Ghana Prisons Service with resources and expertise to complement Government’s efforts.
She charged the officers to exhibit the skills and knowledge acquired through the 10 months training. She also urged them to let discipline and professionalism continue to guide their conduct at all times and adopt the principles of vigilance, humility and respect in the discharge of their duties.
Hon. Naana Eyiah congratulated the officers and asked them to continue to strive for hard work as they enter the world of work and also urged them to treat the prisoners with care, respect, and decency without compromising your professional ethics bearing in mind that imprisonment alone is punishment in itself.
