The Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, has described the working conditions of prison officers as hell.
Speaking before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee on Tuesday, October 20, she said prison officers are required to live and work in the same environment as convicted inmates despite not having committed any offence themselves, a situation she said takes a psychological, emotional and physical toll on them.
“Working as a prison officer is hell,” she said.
According to her, the poor state of prison facilities affects officers directly, with many battling depression and emotional distress.
Baffoe-Bonnie said the unattractive conditions are affecting recruitment, pointing to low patronage of application forms compared to other security agencies.
“How people purchase the form gives me a very serious concern, because the people who wanted to buy the prisons forms were far less than other agencies,” she stated.
She attributed the situation to the stressful work environment and inadequate salaries, warning that it could discourage prospective recruits.
The Director-General called for improved conditions of service and additional compensation to help attract and retain qualified personnel.
“I believe with this platform, people will begin to understand and appreciate us when we come to them to ask for support,” she added.
Source: Abigail Ekua Arhin
