Government increased the daily feeding fee for prisoners from GH¢1.80 to GH¢5. The development is the first in fifteen years after the rate was last reviewed.
This was disclosed by Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, when he appeared before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee on Tuesday, September 30, 2025.
According to him the new rate which has received approval from President Mahama would be captured in the 2026 Budget, with GH¢10 million expected to be released to cover the last quarter of this year.
Some members of the committee described the current GH¢1.80 allocation, which has remained unchanged since 2010, as inadequate for providing three meals to inmates.
The Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Mrs. Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, told the committee that once the feeding arrangement is poor, it affects the health and general wellbeing of prisoners.
According Mrs. Baffoe-Bonnie inmates sometimes agitate over the poor and inadequate meals.
He called on the government to release the approved funds without delay to reduce the strain on the prison system.
Mrs Baffoe-Bonnie explained that the Ghana Prisons Service has been supplementing rations with produce from gardens, fish ponds and poultry projects across various facilities, as well as occasional support from churches.
She warned that food shortages remain the main cause of unrest in prisons and stressed that improving rations is necessary to maintain order and protect prison officers.
She added that while the new GH¢5 rate has been approved, the Service will continue to push for a further increase during the 2026 fiscal year to reflect the real cost of feeding adults in custody.
