The Ghana Prisons Service says it is augmenting its fight against the infiltration of contraband items into its prisons across the country, Director General Patrick Darko Missah has indicated.

Prohibited items including mobile phones, cigarettes, and Indian hemp have been a menace in prisons across the country, with several prisons officers sanctioned for aiding the process.

But the prisons boss has promised to ‘weed’ out officers who are not aware, or better still unmindful, that the use of mobile phones and Indian Hemp by inmates can cause turbulence in the prisons and result in the loss of lives and property in the event of prisoners’ riot.

Delivering a Christmas and New Year message to officers and their families during a carols service held for officers today December 18, DG Missah assured his administration will not relent in meting out the requisite punishment to deter the malevolent conduct of these immoral officers in the system, as happened in the course of the year.

He said “Headquarters is yet to come to full grasp of causes which precipitate the spate of indiscipline amongst officers in the Service, especially those from the Central prisons. A lot of the problem still has to do with the trafficking of prohibited items in form of cigarettes, mobile phones and worse of all Indian Hemp into the prisons for the use of inmates.”

He went on “It appears some officers are not aware, or better still unmindful, that the use of mobile phones and Indian Hemp by inmates can cause turbulence in the prisons and result in the loss of lives and property in the event of prisoners’ riot. It’s unthinkable what the mindset of such unscrupulous officers are; as if they care little about the safety of innocent inmates and that of their own lives.”

“The administration will not relent in meting out the requisite punishment to deter the malevolent conduct of these immoral officers in the system, as happened in the course of this year. Serious efforts are in place to sanitize the system, by ensuring that such characters are weeded out of the Service.”

He added “conversely, positive conduct would be rewarded appropriately. As such an officer from the Nsawam Female Prison has been promoted out of turn this year, because she exhibited bravery and valor leading to the recapture of an escapee from no other place than the central business area of the Ashaiman Township.

“Therefore, indiscipline will consistently be punished, just as good conduct will continue to be rewarded appropriately, so, the ball is in your courts, choose how you want to be treated and what you want to earn,” he urged.