Former Prisons Director suggests name change of Ghana Prisons Service to Correctional Service
The former Director-General of the Prison Service says the name change will enable prisoners transform in a way that will make them properly integrated into society.
A former Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Dr. Richard Kuuire, has suggested that the Ghana Prisons Service should be changed to Correctional Service.
Making the recommendation at the launch of his book, “Transformation of Prisons systems in Africa” Mr. Kuuire said this would ensure that prisoners get the kind of transformation that would enable them properly integrate into society after serving their sentence.
The former Director also lamented the feeding grant paid for each prisoner.
He described it as woefully inadequate, and that it reflects the poor treatment prisoners are subjected to in the country.
“You can imagine a little child, spending GHS1.80, what will it buy. It cannot even buy one ball of kenkey and prison authorities are expected to provide three square meals with GHS1.80. You must be a magician to be able to do that. I think we need to change from prison service to correctional service because correctional service tries to point to reforms and rehabilitation for the person,” he said.
Mr. Kuuire seems to have joined Mr. Prince Bagnaba Mba, the President of human rights NGO, Forum for Equity, in advocating for a name change of the Ghana Prisons Service.
"The change of name of the Ghana Prisons Service to Ghana Correctional Service is long overdue. With reformation and safe custody of inmates as the main objective of the state security organisation, the name prison connotes punishment and inhuman attitudes,” he was quoted to have said on October 31, 2021, in the GNA.
