The Vice-President, Mr Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, says the best legacy that Ghanaians can bequeath to future generations is to ensure stability, peace and development before, during and after the December 12 general election.

He said the maintenance of peace and the economic growth of the country demanded the collaborative efforts of all Ghanaians to deal with issues that could threaten the development of the country.

He, therefore, charged prison officers to play their roles during the 2012 general election by protecting the integrity of the voting process.

Mr Amissah-Arthur was speaking at the Ghana Prisons Service (GPS) graduation parade for the Officer Cadet Course Intake 22 in Accra Friday.

He said the government was committed to improving the conditions of the Ghana Prisons Service.

‘’It is in this regard that government has made significant interventions to address the deplorable conditions in the prisons. There is a significant congestion, sanitary conditions need to be improved and the quality of inmate meals can be made better. However, conditions are improving,’’ Mr Amissah-Arthur said at Friday's event.

He said, following the completion of a 2,000-seating capacity modern building complex at the Ankaful Maximum Security Prison, the congestion problems faced by inmates had reduced.

‘’The daily feeding fee per prisoner has been increased by 200 per cent. For the first time in the history of this country, all eligible prisoners have been registered as voters by the Electoral Commission to allow them to exercise their franchise in this year’s elections,’’ he said.

Mr Amissah-Arthur said as the government worked to improve the physical conditions at the various prisons, it had also initiated the modernisation of the penal system.

Mr Amisah-Arthur urged the newly graduated prison officers to adhere to the ethics that governed the conduct of GPS.

In all, 161 trainees, made up of 115 men and 46 women, graduated from the training course. The graduands underwent a six-month training programme from March to September, this year.

The Intake 22 batch of trainees is the largest ever intake in the history of the GPS.

Ms Gloria Mawuse Cudjoe received the sword of honour for emerging the overall best trainee, while Mr Adamu Latif took the academic cane for his exemplary academic acumen.