We work for the salary, though passion counts too. In recent times, people actually work for the salaries and wages earned and leave unchecked the passion for the work. Thus, people are attracted to certain professions based on how attractive the salary is.
Today’s article is shedding light on not just the salary of the prison officers, but their ranks and corresponding functions and duties as well.
Ghana Prisons Service is a federal agency in the country and is accorded the respect as security agencies and other institutions of similar traits. They are under the auspices of the Ministry of Interior Affairs, Ghana.
They are known for keeping in custody convicted persons or people found guilty of criminal acts by courts. Not just that, they have rehabilitation and reformation programs for inmates for successful resettlement into society.
Ghana Prisons Service Salary
The salary range for the majority of workers in Prison guards – is from GH₵1,500 to GH₵3,354 per month depending on the rank of the officer. A Prison guard typically earns between GH₵1,500 and GH₵2,102 net per month at the start of the job. After 5 years of service, this is between GH₵2,500 and GH₵3,157 per month for a working week of 40 hours.
The prison officers are paid according to their ranks in office. The higher your rank, the higher your pay. In addition, your level of qualification counts and contributes to the amount of salary to be received per month. For example, a recruit with a master’s degree will take a higher salary than one with a degree certificate.
The minimum wage for the least ranked officer in the Ghana Prisons Service receives at least GH₵1,500.00 per month and the highest-ranked receives GH₵3,470.00 per month.
Basically, these are the estimated salaries received by Prison Officers in Ghana however, there are allowances that they enjoy like transport, housing, utilities etc.
Duties of Prison Officers
For the sake of the risky nature of their work, they can apply extreme measures to maintain order in the prison community. They are tasked to keep in custody high and low-level criminals, depending on the type of prison. Thus, inmates are capable of causing riots, attempting escapes or causing physical assaults amongst themselves.
They do 24/7 watching over the entire compound and the inmates during their break time, mealtime, work activities, visits and sports activities. They render their service in half-day shifts.
They escort inmates in all official and unofficial activities. During medical treatment, and court proceedings, from custodial institutions to enforcement of custody, the prison officers go along with the prisoners to and fro to ensure their safety and conformity.
They see to it that the prison is free from weapons, narcotics, psychotropic substances and other harmful or prohibited items with any inmate or inside the cells.
Prison Officer Ranks and their Functions
Like any human institution, there are ranks in the Ghana Prisons Service. From top to bottom, they are ranked from senior officers to junior officers. It is this ranking that forms the organogram of the Ghana Prisons Service. This structure describes the roles and responsibilities of the officers in each rank.
The higher your rank, the higher your responsibilities, for this reason, senior officers have a lot of roles and responsibilities than assistant officers. The following are the ranks in the Ghana Prisons Service.
Superior Officers (In Descending Order)
- Director-General of Prisons – He/she is the head of the Ghana Prisons Service and is in charge of implementing the decisions of the Prison Council. He’s responsible for the administrative and operational control roles of the Ghana Prisons Service.
- Deputy Director-General of Prisons – This rank is supervised by the Director-General of prisons. The Deputy Director-General is tasked to analyse and recommend action upon the request of any station.
- Director of Prisons – The third in command is the Director of Prisons. He reports directly to the Deputy Director-General of Prisons. Their roles include identifying the needs of the prison and waiting on approval from the Director-General.
- Deputy Director of Prisons – He is in charge of the regional level of prisons. They’ve been allocated and executed instructions from the Director-General of Prisons. They run the day-to-day administrative activities in the region they oversee.
- Assistant Director of Prisons – Per its name, this rank is the subordinate to the Deputy Director of Prisons, responsible for the implementation of prison policies issued by the GPS. He is to see to it that the welfare of the prisoners is in check and also take prisoners through the rehab and reformation programs successfully.
- Chief Superintendent of Prisons – He comes right after the Assistant Director of Prisons in the command chain. He is responsible for the overall coordination and management of the activities within the walls of the prison. He sees to it that the facilities are well-used and cared for. He makes sure the rights of the prisoners are protected, and their welfare is secured. He supervises the rehabilitation services provided by the prison.
- Superintendent of Prisons – He assumes the position of the Chief Superintendent of Prisons in his absence and acts as the unit head or second in command at central prisons or headquarters.
- Deputy Superintendent of Prisons – His duties are to authorize escort of prisoners within and outside the prisons, both official and unofficial activities. They engage and release prisoners and maintain the security of the prison facility.
- Assistant Superintendent of Prisons – His function is to carry out staff duties, inmates training etc. It’s actually the first rank any recruit is commissioned into.
- Officer Cadet – This is not really a rank, but the name given to anyone undergoing training at the Prisons Officers Training School.
The following are other ranks in the Ghana Prisons Service:
- Senior Chief Office
- Chief Office
- Assistant Chief Office
- Sergeant
- Corporal
- Lance Corporal
- 2nd Class Officer
ConclusionÂ
This article highlighted all you needed to know about the salaries of prison workers in Ghana.
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