The government has increased the daily feeding allocation for inmates in Ghana's prisons from GH¢1.80 to GH¢5.00, in what the Interior Minister, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, described as a long-overdue adjustment.
The announcement was made by the minister in 2025, following presidential approval of the new rate. The previous GH¢1.80 allocation had remained unchanged for about 15 years.
The increase represents approximately 178%, although the new GH¢5 allocation is still considered insufficient by the government and prison authorities to provide adequate meals for adult inmates.
Muntaka said the government had initially hoped to provide an even higher amount but considered the increase from GH¢1.80 to GH¢5 an important first step. He also indicated that the government hoped to increase the allocation further in the future.
The new rate is expected to support the feeding of more than 14,000 inmates across Ghana's prisons. The Interior Ministry said the increase is intended to improve the nutritional quality of meals provided to prisoners.
The previous feeding rate had attracted criticism because prison authorities were expected to provide three meals a day with only GH¢1.80 allocated per inmate.
The situation also attracted attention from Parliament's Human Rights Committee. Members argued that the previous amount was inadequate and raised concerns about its compatibility with international standards governing the treatment of prisoners.
The Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, welcomed the increase, noting that inadequate feeding could have consequences for the health and welfare of inmates.
Prison authorities have also relied on additional sources of food, including agricultural projects within some correctional facilities, as well as assistance from churches and other organisations.
The increase forms part of wider efforts by the government to improve conditions within Ghana's correctional facilities. Other measures have included efforts to address overcrowding, improve transportation and strengthen rehabilitation programmes.
The government has also provided additional support to the Ghana Prisons Service, including three buses intended to improve transportation of inmates to courts, medical facilities and rehabilitation programmes.
While the increase has been welcomed as an improvement, Amnesty International Ghana said more needs to be done, including ensuring that funds are released on time and used specifically to improve prisoners' nutrition and welfare.
The increase in the prison feeding allocation from GH¢1.80 to GH¢5.00 represents a significant adjustment after years without a review. However, authorities acknowledge that GH¢5 remains insufficient, meaning further increases and broader reforms could be necessary to improve conditions in Ghana's prisons.