James Camp Prison
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17th May, 2010
Seek Funds For Prisons Projects Outside Govt Budget - Outgoing Commander
THE out-going second-in-command of the Ghana Prisons Service, Mr. Hayford Okpoti Korney, has asked the service to source allocation for funding outside government budget to enable the service to meet pressing challenges.
He said his has become necessary because of inadequate budgetary allocation to the service.
Mr. Okpoti said this in his farewell speech at a pulling-out ceremony held in his honour at the Prison Office’s Training School in Accra on Friday.
He said the Prison’s Service has undergone an impressive transformation at various fronts since he enlisted in the 1980’s.
The Deputy-Director General said the poor transportation challenge in the past has improved significantly “as every station now has at least a serviceable vehicle not less than three.
He said officers no longer ought to buy their uniform materials from the market because now they have regular suppliers including different types of camouflage dress and other accoutrements.
“Over the past decade, a number of officers have benefited from overseas training, a situation which was virtually non-existent in the 1980’s and the 1990’s.
Mr. Okpoti said the Prison Service can now boast of ICT centre, Research and Monitoring Units, Commercial Units while prison officers can now go on UN missions.
He said all these had been made possible through the foresight, initiative and hard works of many hard working retired officers who laid a foundation for the modernization process.
Mr Okpoti said Prisons are dynamic institutions, continuously changing and being affected by expanding knowledge and external influences.
“New developments in science and technology including ICT, have changed the face of correctional administration” he said.
He said since today’s correctional philosophy may prove to be irrelevant tomorrow, it is imperative that the service positions itself strategically in order to be responsive to the dynamics of social change.
“We need to review our sentencing policy and make justice sector reforms to incorporate more non-custodial measures which have proved to be more effective ways of addressing overcrowding.
He said overcrowding has been the bane of the service for many years and currently 70 per cent of the prisons are overcrowded.
Mr. Korney in order to address such a challenge, the service needs the collaboration of the Police, the courts, and the Attorney-General’s Department all of which had crucial roles to play in reducing overcrowding in prisons.
He advised the up and coming young officers in the service to see their career as a chosen field to render service to nation and humanity in general.
“Remember that, as Prison Officers, you are role models for the inmates you handle and this requires that you exhibit a high level of discipline and personal integrity.
Mr Korney asked them to avoid negative tendencies that will compromise their career and the operational efficiency of the service.
He said his has become necessary because of inadequate budgetary allocation to the service.
Mr. Okpoti said this in his farewell speech at a pulling-out ceremony held in his honour at the Prison Office’s Training School in Accra on Friday.
He said the Prison’s Service has undergone an impressive transformation at various fronts since he enlisted in the 1980’s.
The Deputy-Director General said the poor transportation challenge in the past has improved significantly “as every station now has at least a serviceable vehicle not less than three.
He said officers no longer ought to buy their uniform materials from the market because now they have regular suppliers including different types of camouflage dress and other accoutrements.
“Over the past decade, a number of officers have benefited from overseas training, a situation which was virtually non-existent in the 1980’s and the 1990’s.
Mr. Okpoti said the Prison Service can now boast of ICT centre, Research and Monitoring Units, Commercial Units while prison officers can now go on UN missions.
He said all these had been made possible through the foresight, initiative and hard works of many hard working retired officers who laid a foundation for the modernization process.
Mr Okpoti said Prisons are dynamic institutions, continuously changing and being affected by expanding knowledge and external influences.
“New developments in science and technology including ICT, have changed the face of correctional administration” he said.
He said since today’s correctional philosophy may prove to be irrelevant tomorrow, it is imperative that the service positions itself strategically in order to be responsive to the dynamics of social change.
“We need to review our sentencing policy and make justice sector reforms to incorporate more non-custodial measures which have proved to be more effective ways of addressing overcrowding.
He said overcrowding has been the bane of the service for many years and currently 70 per cent of the prisons are overcrowded.
Mr. Korney in order to address such a challenge, the service needs the collaboration of the Police, the courts, and the Attorney-General’s Department all of which had crucial roles to play in reducing overcrowding in prisons.
He advised the up and coming young officers in the service to see their career as a chosen field to render service to nation and humanity in general.
“Remember that, as Prison Officers, you are role models for the inmates you handle and this requires that you exhibit a high level of discipline and personal integrity.
Mr Korney asked them to avoid negative tendencies that will compromise their career and the operational efficiency of the service.
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