The Director-General of Prisons, Patience Baffoe-Bonnie (Esq.), has called for stronger collaboration between the government, prison managers, and stakeholders to address challenges in the prison system across West Africa.

Speaking at the ECOWAS Peace, Security and Governance Project’s symposium on Rule of Law, Human Security and Accountability: Intersecting Gender and Access to Justice in the ECOWAS Region, Mrs Baffoe-Bonnie stated that the “Think Prisons 360 Degrees” initiative aims at improving the welfare of inmates and prison officers alike.

She said that resolving issues within prisons requires collective responsibility, noting that governments alone cannot shoulder the burden.

“Prison reforms demand innovative strategies and active partnerships with all stakeholders,” she said, urging prison managers to adopt forward-looking approaches.

The D-G of Prisons also commended the Church of Pentecost for its continued support, particularly in the welfare, rehabilitation, and reintegration of inmates into society, describing faith-based partnerships as “critical in transforming lives behind bars.”

The symposium, which began on March 30, 2026, and concluded on April 2, 2026, brought together key practitioners from ECOWAS and other regional economic communities to explore linkages between justice, security, gender, and access to law, with the aim of strengthening institutional practices across the region.