The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in partnership with the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) of the United States government, has commissioned a bakery and vocational training facilities at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison following the successful completion of a three-year rehabilitation project.

The commissioning ceremony, held on Friday, 17th July, 2026, forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen inmate rehabilitation and equip prisoners with practical skills to support their successful reintegration into society upon release, the Prisons Service noted on social media.

Speaking at the event, the UNODC Project Coordinator, Mr Christophe Campbell, said the project began three years ago with the training of officers of the Ghana Prisons Service on the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, widely known as the Nelson Mandela Rules.

He explained that the initiative also involved the donation of equipment, capacity-building programmes and other forms of institutional support to the Ghana Prisons Service. Mr Campbell added that UNODC and its partners remained committed to supporting efforts to address key challenges confronting the Service.

Delivering the welcome address, the Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Mrs Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, highlighted achievements under the Service's Think Prisons 360 Degrees agenda, which seeks to transform inmates into economically productive and responsible citizens after their release.

She said the Service had introduced several initiatives to improve the welfare of both inmates and prison officers, noting that the newly commissioned bakery, kente weaving, doormat weaving and electrical workshops would play a vital role in enhancing vocational training, rehabilitation and the reintegration of inmates into society.

Following the commissioning, invited guests toured the facilities and observed inmates demonstrating practical skills in bread production, kente weaving, doormat weaving and electrical appliance repairs as part of their vocational training.

Before leaving the facility, Mrs Baffoe-Bonnie interacted with inmates and encouraged them to remain committed to their rehabilitation. She assured them of the Ghana Prisons Service's continued efforts to improve their living conditions while creating opportunities that would prepare them for productive lives beyond incarceration.

The ceremony was attended by members of the Prisons Directorate, Officers-in-Charge of prisons within the Nsawam prison complex, the UNODC Regional Coordinator to Ghana and other officers.