The Interior Minister has said government together with the Prisons Council is looking at the non-custodial sentencing regime to focus more on the rehabilitation aspect of the Prisons.

Ambrose Dery said the prisons was a very important institute, which needed help to be able to provide good rehabilitation and skills training and development to inmates of the country’s prisons.

Speaking at the commissioning of the Ghana Prisons Service Headquarters Archway and Guard Post in Accra on Friday, commended the two institutions for their corporate responsibility to the improvement of security at the Prisons Headquarter.

The Archway and Guard Post were built by the Service with support from Glico Life Company and Hoama Engineering Limited.

The commissioning is in pursuance of the implementation of strategic goals five of the Ghana Prisons Service ten-year Strategic Development Plan to modernize its physical structures across the country and give a facelift and project the image of the Service.

He said security was a collective responsibility and government would not be able to handle it alone but with the support of the whole citizenry.

The Minister said government has arranged with the private sector to come to the aid of the prisons to support in skill training for the inmates.

He, therefore, called on Prison Officers to double their effort and lift the image of the Service.

Ambrose Dery, Interior Minister

Patrick Darko Missah, the Director-General, Ghana Prisons Service said the Service has a catalogue of development initiatives which have been executed, while others were still under construction at the Headquarters.

Some of the projects are painting of the defaced Prison Barracks at Cantonments, pavement of the lane from Prisons headquarters to the Senior Officers Mess, construction of Prisons Headquarter fence wall, completion and furnishing of a modern one storey transit quarters to accommodate sportsmen and women.

He said the significance of the Archway and Guard Post transcends mere adding grandeur and aesthetic values to the architectural landmarks of Prisons Headquarters premises.

He said it would, more importantly, enhance effective security control and monitoring of both vehicular and pedestrian movements to the Headquarters premises.

Mr Darko said, “it is my belief that we will conduct ourselves responsibly to reap the desired purpose of its construction, whilst maintaining its quality for posterity.”

Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, the Ambassador Extraordinaire of Prisons said that the construction has provided beautification to the Headquarters and the barracks.

He commended the leadership of the Ghana Prisons Service for the initiative to lift the image of the Service.