The presentation is part of ‘Project Efiase’, an initiative of the Ghana Prisons Service to modernise prisons across the country and enhance the welfare of prisons officers.

The Managing Director of NIB, Mr John Kweku Asamoah, presented the cheque to the Prisons Council during a courtesy call on the leadership of the bank to inform it of the 10-year development plan and Project Efiase, which are aimed at transforming the entire Prisons Service.

Mr Asamoah said although the bank was aware of Project Efiase and other developments within the Prisons Service, the visit had thrown further light on the challenges of the service, promising that the bank would be a partner from this year.

“We will also look at areas where the Prisons Service can partner the private sector to deliver public private partnerships; as a bank, we can link you to the relevant private players,” the managing director said.

Prisons delegation

The Prisons delegation was led by the Chairman of the Prisons Council, Reverend Stephen Wengam. It included the Acting Director-General of Prisons, Mr Emmanuel Yao Adzator; the Director of Prisons in charge of Welfare, Mrs Josephine Fredua Agyeman, and the Director in charge of Technical and Services, Mr L. K. A. Ansah.

Rev. Wengam enumerated some of the challenges of the service as overcrowding, the spread of communicable diseases, capacity building of staff and the absence of a hospital to cater for the needs of inmates and prisons officers.

The Prisons Council chairman, therefore, appealed to the NIB to adopt any of the prisons for assistance, from their welfare to helping inmates to pursue education.

He also asked the NIB to partner the service to construct a modern hospital to cater for the healthcare needs of officers and inmates, as well as offer commercial healthcare services to the public.

Prisons Service committed

For his part, Mr Adzator said a country’s prisons conditions had a correlation with its development, adding that it was important for the country to give a facelift to its prisons and change its image.

“It’s unfortunate that inmates are perceived to be deviants in society,” he said, stressing that  the Ghana Prisons service was dedicated and committed to safeguarding hardened criminals who posed a threat to society in custody.

However, he stated, “The Prisons Service has not been well equipped to facilitate effective reformation and rehabilitation of prison inmates.”

The director-general thanked the NIB for footing the bill to re-roof the building which was ripped off by a downpour towards the end of last year.