The Ghana Prisons Service, in partnership with the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Ministry of the Interior in Accra to formalise the recruitment of 5,000 young men and women as Prisons Support Assistants.

The MoU according to Ghana Prisons Service outlines the agreed terms of collaboration among the three institutions and forms part of a broader strategy to enhance capacity within the Prisons Service, while also tackling youth unemployment.

In a Facebook post share by the Ghana Prisons Service, the Director General of Prisons emphasised the urgent need for additional support staff to be trained and deployed.

She cited the forthcoming expansion of national initiatives such as the Clean Ghana Project, prison-based industrialisation efforts, and the Parole System, which is expected to be passed into law, as key drivers behind the recruitment.

“We must be proactive in equipping the Prisons Service with the human resources needed to fulfil its evolving mandate. These assistants will play a vital role in supporting reforms aimed at rehabilitation, reintegration, and social transformation,” she noted.

The Director General also called on Malik Basintale, Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency, and George Opare Addo, Minister of Youth Development and Empowerment, to lend their full support to the “Think Prisons 360 Degrees” initiative.

This programme is designed to promote partnerships with institutions and organisations in both the public and private sectors to advance the work and vision of the Ghana Prisons Service.

The newly recruited Prisons Support Assistants will be trained and deployed to assist with administrative, operational, and rehabilitation-focused duties across correctional centres nationwide.