Think Prison 360 Degrees designed to change negative perceptions about prisons - ASP Francis Dadzie

Cape Coast – ASP Ekow Francis Dadzie of the Ankaful Main Camp Prison has emphasized that prisons serve not only as facilities for detaining inmates but also as institutions dedicated to the reformation and rehabilitation of prisoners.

He underscored "Think Prison 360 Degrees" is one initiative designed to change the negative perception and narrative surrounding the Prison Service.

Speaking on GBC Radio Central's Morning Show on Thursday, December 18, 2025, ASP Dadzie remarked that the 'Think Prison 360 Degrees' initiative was hinged on self-sustaining rehabilitation hubs, anchored by core pillars like welfare (staff/inmates), agricultural mechanization, industrialization, wealth creation, strategic partnerships, modernization, and rebranding for holistic reform, aiming for hope, healing, and national relevance through skills, productivity, and reintegration.

Regarding the farming activities undertaken by inmates, DSP Harriet Asiedu, also a panel member, disclosed that they are presently engaged in both animal and crop farming. In terms of animal farming, their activities encompass poultry, piggery, turkey, and rabbits, whereas crop farming involves oil palm, coconut and maize.

Further highlighting their agricultural endeavors, DSP Dadzie noted that Main Camp Prisons presently operates a 36-acre oil palm farm, a 10-acre coconut farm, and a 15-acre maize farm, among others. He underscored that these farms are designated to support inmate feeding and provide vocational training. Notably, "we sell some of our products to the general public," she said, adding "the generated revenue is reinvested into the farms to ensure sustainability," DSP Asiedu emphasized.

On negative perceptions surrounding the service, DSP Dadzie noted that they result from ignorance and misinformation. "Typically, when internal security agencies are mentioned, they reference the Police, Fire Service, and others," he added. "They do not usually mention our names, but in internal security, we rank after the police," he clarified.

In his public appeal, he seized the opportunity to encourage the public to include their names whenever they reference the names of internal security services in Ghana.

Think Prisons 360 Degrees is a 2025 strategic reform initiative launched by the Ghana Prisons Service to modernize the country's correctional system. Championed by the Director-General, Mrs. Patience Baffoe-Bonnie (ESQ), the program aims to shift the focus from "warehousing" inmates to holistic reformation, rehabilitation, and national productivity.