“Imagine a scenario where prisoners who previously stole cassava are now learning how to cultivate it. By the time they complete their sentences, they would have the skills to become self-sufficient farmers rather than returning to crime,” said Dr. Frank Kwekucher Ackah, Senior Lecturer, Department of Crop Science, at the University of Cape Coast, in an exclusive interview with The High Street Journal on Monday February 24, 2025.
With food inflation continuing to rise in Ghana, Dr. Ackah believes that deploying non-violent prisoners to work on state farms could help increase food production and reduce prices. He pointed out that food inflation remains a persistent challenge because agricultural output is failing to meet demand, and labor shortages are making it even harder to scale up production.
Drawing inspiration from Burkina Faso, where prisoners are now working on farms to reduce their sentences, he argued that Ghana could adopt a similar approach to tackle both food insecurity and prison overcrowding. “The major challenge we have now is food inflation, and it keeps increasing because we are not producing enough,” he said.
He also criticized the current system, where some prisoners are engaged in hard labor but without any structured benefit to the state. “Right now, prisoners work, but the money they generate doesn’t go to the state. If we properly structure this, their efforts can be directed towards increasing food production.”
By channeling prison labor into growing staple crops such as maize, rice, and vegetables, Dr. Ackah believes Ghana could ease the pressure on food prices while giving inmates a chance to learn valuable agricultural skills.
A Structured Approach to Ensure Productivity
For this initiative to work effectively, he suggested that prisoners should be given specific production targets rather than just working on farms without clear objectives. “If ten prisoners are assigned to cultivate onions, for example, they should have a target yield. If they meet it, their sentences can be reduced,” he proposed.
This, he said, would serve as both an incentive for the prisoners and a way to ensure that their labor directly contributes to boosting food supply. He also recommended that the government work closely with agricultural experts and prison authorities to develop a sustainable framework.
While acknowledging that such a policy would have challenges, Dr. Ackah emphasized that proper supervision is necessary to prevent security risks. He noted that with the right oversight, including on-site security personnel and tracking mechanisms, the risks could be managed.
A Step Toward Food Security
Ultimately, Dr. Ackah believes that Ghana needs to take bold steps to address its food inflation crisis. He argued that while boosting local production requires multiple interventions, utilizing prison labor in agriculture is a practical and cost-effective solution.
He urged policymakers to consider a pilot program to test the feasibility of the initiative before rolling it out nationwide.
