The government has increased the daily feeding allowance for inmates from GH¢1.80 to GH¢5, representing the first increase in 15 years.
Mr. Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, the Minister for the Interior, made this announcement during his appearance before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament on Tuesday, September 30, 2025.
He noted that the new rate has received the green light and will be included in the 2026 Budget, with GH¢10 million anticipated for release to cover the last quarter of this year.
Committee members expressed that the GH¢1.80 allocation, which has been stagnant since 2010, is grossly insufficient for providing three meals a day for inmates.
Mrs. Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, the Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, informed the committee that inadequate feeding arrangements adversely affect inmates’ health and well-being.
Committee member Mr. Sebastian Fred Deh compared this situation to the GH¢2.50 allocated per child per day under the school feeding program and argued that it violates the Mandela Rules, which stipulate that inmates should receive adequate nutrition. He urged the government to expedite the release of the approved funds to alleviate pressure on the prison system.
Mrs. Baffoe-Bonnie shared that the Prisons Service has been enhancing meals with produce from on-site gardens, fish ponds, and poultry projects at various facilities, in addition to occasional support from churches.
She highlighted that food shortages remain a primary contributor to unrest within prisons and underscored the necessity for enhanced rations to ensure the safety of both inmates and prison officers.
Furthermore, she stated that while the new GH¢5 rate has been established, the Service will continue advocating for further adjustments in the 2026 fiscal year to better reflect the true cost of feeding adults in custody.
