Prof. Naana Jane Opoku‑Agyemang, Vice President of Ghana, addressed a graduation parade of 609 officer cadets at the Premier Centre for Prisons and Correctional Innovations in Fumso, Adansi Asokwa District, Ashanti Region. The cohort, comprising 392 men and 217 women, were commissioned as Assistant Superintendents of Prisons.
During her speech, the Vice President urged prison officers to treat inmates with dignity and to provide opportunities for rehabilitation and successful reintegration into society. She stressed that humane treatment is a fundamental responsibility of the Service and that officers must perform their duties with professionalism, discipline and respect for human rights.
Prof. Opoku‑Agyemang assured that the government remains committed to working with the Service to improve staff welfare, strengthen institutional capacity, provide essential equipment and promote professional development. She announced the commissioning of the Damongo Camp Prison and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to completing the remand facility at Nsawam.
The Vice President called for sustained efforts to improve case management, address overcrowding and develop viable alternatives to custodial sentencing. She appealed to the public to desist from stigmatizing former inmates and instead support their reintegration into society after serving their sentences.
She also highlighted the government’s provision of tractors, fertilisers and other agricultural inputs to support farming activities within prisons, aiming to increase food production and equip inmates with practical agricultural and vocational skills for life after release.
“Promotion is not merely a reward for past achievements, but a solemn commitment to upholding even higher standards of duty,” the Vice President said, emphasising that accountability and public safety must remain central to prison administration.
The Vice President was accompanied by Minister for the Interior Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, Mrs Patience Baffoe‑Bonnie, Director‑General of the Ghana Prisons Service, and other senior officials of the Service.
