Ghana’s prisons face funding challenges amidst rising food costs

Mrs. Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, the Director-General of Prisons in charge of Services, has revealed that the government has approved an upward adjustment of GH¢5 per inmate daily, but the funds are yet to be released.

Currently, prison authorities manage with a meager GH¢1.80 per day to feed each inmate, an amount she described as “grossly inadequate.”

Mrs. Baffoe-Bonnie made the remarks during a public hearing at the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, Accra, on Tuesday.

The PAC on Monday, September 29, 2025, reconvened to continue its public hearings to review the Auditor-General’s report for the year ending December 31, 2024.

The Committee will, from Monday to Wednesday, October 1, 2025, scrutinise various government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) for alleged financial irregularities.

Among the ministries appearing before the Committee are the Ghana Statistical Service, the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service, the Ministry for the Interior, the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney General’s Department, and the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs.

The others are the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Creative Art, the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry, the Ministry of Environment, Science, and Technology, and the Ministry of Transport.

The PAC’s scrutiny of the Auditor-General’s report highlights the Committee’s commitment to ensuring accountability and transparency in government financial dealings.

The Director-General of Prisons in charge of Services emphasised that poor feeding remained a major cause of unrest in Ghana’s prisons, putting prison officers at serious risk.

“Honourable Chair, inadequate feeding often sparks riots… We have to note on this platform that one of the things that is giving cause for inmates to riot is food,” she said.

To make ends meet, prison authorities rely on their own gardens, a small fishpond, and donations from churches to supplement food supplies.

Mrs. Baffoe-Bonnie hoped that the GH¢5 daily allowance will be increased in 2026 to reflect the feeding regime for inmates.

“We are hopeful the GH¢5 a day will be increased in the course of 2026 to reflect the feeding regime for a disgruntled adult, an angry adult behind bars,” she said.

The Director-General of Prisons also called for broader reforms to improve prison conditions, emphasizing that inmate welfare was essential to national security.

“Honourable Chair, if we want to have serious public safety in this country, we have to prioritize the needs of prisoners. Because they are part of us, they will be with us, and we don’t know who our next guest will be,” she urged.

Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, the Minister for the Interior, highlighted the need for sustainable solutions to address the challenges facing Ghana’s prisons as the country worked towards improving prison conditions.

He noted that prioritising inmate welfare will be crucial in maintaining national security and promoting rehabilitation.

Source: GNA

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