The Ghana Prisons Service says it is transforming the country's prison system from one focused primarily on custody and punishment to a modern correctional model centred on rehabilitation, skills development and the successful reintegration of inmates into society.

Director-General of Prisons, Mrs Patience Baffoe-Bonnie (Esq.), announced the shift in a message to mark Nelson Mandela International Day on July 18, stressing that imprisonment should offer offenders the opportunity to reform, rebuild their lives and make meaningful contributions to society.

She said the transformation is being driven by the "Think Prisons 360 Degrees Initiative", launched in 2025, which seeks to reposition prisons as centres of hope, healing, productivity and national development.

"The initiative represents a paradigm shift from a purely custodial institution to a modern, self-sustaining rehabilitation ecosystem where prisons become centres of hope, healing, productivity, skills development, and national relevance," Mrs Baffoe-Bonnie stated.

According to her, the initiative adopts a three-stage approach encompassing pre-incarceration, incarceration and post-incarceration, with each stage designed to promote crime prevention, effective rehabilitation and successful reintegration into society.

She explained that interventions during incarceration are built around five strategic pillars: the welfare of officers and inmates, industrialisation, agricultural mechanisation, business and wealth creation, and strategic partnerships.

"These efforts are aimed at equipping inmates with the necessary knowledge, skills, and values to become responsible, productive, and law-abiding citizens," she said.

Mrs Baffoe-Bonnie reaffirmed the Service's commitment to ensuring the humane treatment of inmates while creating opportunities for lasting personal transformation.

"Our philosophy is clear: imprisonment must serve as a pathway to rehabilitation, not retribution," she emphasised.

She highlighted a range of vocational training programmes currently available to inmates, including carpentry, tailoring, welding and aquaculture, all aimed at equipping them with practical skills before their release.

The Director-General also disclosed that prison farms currently produce more than 40 per cent of the daily food requirements for inmates. She said the Service plans to expand mechanised agriculture to increase food production while providing additional vocational training opportunities.

Speaking on the post-incarceration phase of the initiative, Mrs Baffoe-Bonnie said the focus is on supporting former inmates to reintegrate into society as responsible and productive citizens.

"The post-incarceration stage ensures transitional support and reintegration of inmates into society. It ensures that when inmates complete their term, they leave the prisons not as outcasts, but as skilled citizens ready to contribute positively to their communities," she said.

She called on government institutions, civil society organisations, faith-based organisations and the private sector to support the Ghana Prisons Service in building a correctional system that restores dignity, promotes rehabilitation and offers offenders a genuine second chance.