Director of Prisons/Health

DOP Gloria Essandoh (Esq.) was born on 3rd November 1967. She was enlisted into the Ghana Prisons Service in December 1995 and was subsequently commissioned as an Assistant Superintendent of prisons in July 1996. She has 28 years of progressively responsible experience in the Corrections system/prison administration including experience in policy development and planning. 

Until her recent appointment as a Director of Prisons in charge of Health, she was the Chief Legal Officer of the Service. She has also served as a Deputy Chief Legal Officer, Adjutant and Classroom Instructor of the Prison Officers’ Training School, Staff Officer to the Director-General of Prisons and Second-In-Command/Acting Officer-in-Charge, James Fort Female Prison.

 

She is currently the superior officers’ representative on the governing board of the Ghana Prisons Service and has in-depth knowledge in correctional administration both at the local and international fronts.

Madam Gloria has a Bachelor of Law degree (LLB, HONS) from the University of Ghana and a Barrister at Law (BL) from the Ghana Law School, a Bachelor’s degree in Management & Economics from the University of Ghana, Legon, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).

 

On the International front, she has served on United Nations Mission in Eastern Chad, (MINURCAT), as a Corrections Advisor and Administrative Assistant from November, 2008 to June, 2010, the United Nation’s Mission in Haiti, (MINUJUSTH) as a Strategic Policy Planning and Reporting Officer, from January 2017 to December, 2019 and the  United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH)  , as Corrections Mentor, from  December 2019 to October, 2020. Her duties as Corrections mentor of the Special Political Mission, BINUI involved supporting the Directorate of the Haitian Penitentiary Administration at the strategic level to develop its administrative, management and operational capacities, as well as  improve  detention conditions, Also as a Corrections strategic Planning/Policy Development /Reporting officer in MINUJUSTH,  she supported  the leadership of the Corrections Advisory Unit and the Penitentiary Administration to shape and implement policies aimed at ensuring the safe and effective management of prisons.

 

Ms. Gloria Essandoh has undertaken several courses at the local and international levels, which include Peacekeeping Pre-deployment Training (UNPriPoc ), Sweden, Livgadet, Managing Defense in a Wider Security Context, Kofi Annan  Peacekeeping Training Center, ICPA Leadership Training Workshop, Namibia, Corrections Institutional Management Training, Colorado, USA, a participant, in Joy fields Institute Training Program, Atlanta, Georgia, International Prisons, Jails and Corrections Leadership Summit as well as the International training program on Peace Building and Good governance for African civilian personnel and the office of the High Commissioner for Human rights, at the University of Ghana, Accra.

 

Ms. Gloria Essandoh enjoys reading, writing short stories and poetry, and most importantly spending time with loved ones.