The Ghana Prisons Council, under the leadership of Chair Apostle Alexander Kumi Larbi, paid a courtesy visit to the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, to deliberate on critical issues affecting the Ghana Prisons Service and explore avenues for strengthened collaboration.

The meeting was held at the Ministry of the Interior.

According to a post shared on Facebook by the Ministry, during the engagement, discussions centred on forging partnerships to support the effective execution of the Council’s mandate.

In his remarks, Apostle Kumi Larbi reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to supporting the Service, emphasising the importance of ongoing consultations with the Director-General and her team.

He also highlighted the need for evidence-based overviews of the Service’s operations to inform strategic planning.

The Council Chair expressed appreciation for Government’s provision of vehicles to the Service, including pickups, buses, and a command vehicle handed over to the Director-General last year.

While commending these deliveries, he appealed for additional vehicles to mitigate persistent operational challenges, particularly transportation constraints resulting from infrastructural limitations and the demanding nature of the Service’s mandate.

Responding to the Council’s presentation, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak thanked the team for the visit and for sharing their vision and initiatives. He acknowledged that the concerns raised remain a priority for the Ministry and noted that notable progress has been made in addressing them.

The Minister underscored that the prisons remain a pivotal focus area for Government. He assured the Council that all matters presented are under active consideration, highlighting President John Dramani Mahama's ongoing efforts to resolve accommodation challenges across all security services.

Mr Muntaka further stressed the importance of prioritising salary harmonisation to enhance workforce motivation.

Additionally, the Minister reiterated Government’s commitment to fortifying prison facilities and expressed support for collaboration with private organisations through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) as a sustainable strategy.

He also pointed to progress on relevant legislative initiatives, including the Parole and Community Service Bill, which is expected to strengthen the broader criminal justice framework.