Mahama Commissions Damongo Inmates Skills Acquisition and Reformation Centre Amid Prison Reforms
President John Dramani Mahama has commissioned the 260-capacity Inmates Skills Acquisition and Reformation Centre at Damongo Camp Prison in the Savannah Region, praising it as a “sanctuary of hope and restoration” built through a partnership between the Church of Pentecost and the Ghana Prisons Service.
The facility, the third of its kind by the Church, addresses overcrowding and emphasizes rehabilitation over punishment, aligning with Mahama’s broader prison reform agenda.
“This is part of our big push to transform prisons into centers of self-reliance and reintegration,” Mahama said,
unveiling plans for 24-hour prison industries, including manufacturing and agro-processing, to generate income and equip inmates with skills.
He pledged to complete the abandoned 800-inmate Nsawam remand prison, develop modern centers for men, women, and juveniles, and donate a 66-seater bus to Damongo Prison. Reforms include alternative sentencing, revised bail conditions, and parole systems, drawing from the UN’s Nelson Mandela Rules for humane treatment.
Mahama announced support for prison farming with fertilizers and machinery over three years, positioning the Prisons Service as an economic contributor via round-the-clock operations. “This will not only sustain the Service but prepare inmates for productive lives,” he said.
The Church of Pentecost, behind facilities at Ejura, Nsawam, and now Damongo (with Obuasi upcoming), was commended for its role in rehabilitation. Director-General of Prisons Patience Baffoe-Bonnie welcomed the reforms, noting they enhance security and public safety.
