page_title: Ghana Prisons Service
section_title: Prison conditions
hierarchical_section_title: Ghana Prisons Service / Prison conditions
caption_attribution_description: English: View from the James Town light house, showing the james town fort on the left and the fishing village near by , with Oso castle far away in the horizon This is a photo of Ghana's material cultural heritage number GH-AA-008
context_page_description: The Ghana Prisons Service is responsible for the safe custody of prisoners in Ghana, as well as their welfare, reformation and rehabilitation. It is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior.
context_section_description: The main challenge that confronts the service is a persistent lack of funds. One effect of this, evident since 1972, is that the service is unable to ensure that convicts do not reoffend. Other challenges that face the service include prison overcrowding, lack of sanitation, and poor prison infrastructure. Some of the GPS' prisons are extremely outdated. For example, the almost 400 years old James Fort Prison in Accra was in use as a prison until 2008. It was originally built for 200 slaves, but housed over 740 male and female prisoners.
  Insufficient budget allocation for Reformation Programmes – prisoners are generally unskilled and unmotivated as they enter prison.  There are many deficiencies to be corrected and funding is needed for the programmes to be effective.
  Poor accommodation structures – old and weak structures and poor architectural designs unsuitable for long detention of people.  Overcrowding often leads to poor sanitation and health problems.
  Stigmatization of prisoners – stigmatization of prisoners leads to dejection and reoffending which lead to recidivism and high crime rate undermines efforts of reformation and rehabilitation of prisons.
  Lack of support from public to reform and reintegrate prisoners after their release.
caption: James Fort Prison, Accra (far left).
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