Prison Service DG visits Upper East Region, announces roll out of mechanized agriculture in 2026
The visit by the Director-General formed part of efforts to assess prison operations in the region, interact with officers and inmates, and promote reforms with a focus on welfare, rehabilitation, agriculture, among others.
The Ghana Prison Service has announced plans to roll out a series of policy initiatives from next year, including mechanized agriculture, aimed at improving conditions in prisons across the country.
The Director-General of the Service, Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, made the announcement during a working visit to the Upper East Region, explaining that the new initiatives are designed to strengthen inmate rehabilitation and reformation.
The visit by the Director-General formed part of efforts to assess prison operations in the region, interact with officers and inmates, and promote reforms with a focus on welfare, rehabilitation, agriculture, arts and professional conduct.
As part of the visit, Baffoe-Bonnie paid a courtesy call on the Overlord of the Navrongo Traditional Area, the Navro Pio, Pe Asagpaare Aniakwoah Balinia Adda II. She expressed appreciation for the traditional authority’s continuous support for the Ghana Prison Service and appealed for land to support planned agricultural projects.
“I would appreciate if we got a larger piece of land that will support mechanized agric” – Baffoe-Bonnie.
The Director-General emphasized that the Service is committed not only to reforming inmates but also equipping them with skills to become productive and useful members of society upon release.
She noted that the Upper East Regional Command of the Ghana Prison Service is already engaged in agricultural activities to supplement inmate feeding, but limited access to land has remained a major challenge.
In response, the Navro Pio assured the Director-General of his readiness to work with his council to secure land for the Prison Service’s agricultural initiatives.
Baffoe-Bonnie also met with management of the Irrigation Company of the Upper Region (ICOUR), where she sought to strengthen the long-standing relationship between the two institutions. She called for closer collaboration, particularly in areas of shared interest such as agriculture.
ICOUR manages one of the country’s largest irrigation schemes, with arable land covering about 2,490 hectares, and contributes significantly to national food crop production.
The Managing Director of the company, Dominic Anarigide, welcomed the engagement and assured the Ghana Prison Service of the company’s willingness to partner in advancing agricultural development and rehabilitation efforts.
“We willing as a company to partner the Ghana Prison Service further our relationship in that regard. It is possible that beyond the farming, we can relate in other aspects.”
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