The Kumasi Central Prison in Ghana is making significant strides in generating internal revenue to sustain its inmate population, despite the challenges affecting the country's correctional facilities. The prison has embarked on the commercial production of mineral water, both in sachet and bottled forms, for consumption and sale to the general public. This initiative is part of the prison's efforts to become self-sufficient and reduce its reliance on the government.
In addition to the mineral water production, the prison is also cultivating vegetable farmland year-round to supplement the nutrition of inmates and generate additional funds through public sales. The prison has also ventured into pig farming and other livestock businesses, utilizing leftover food to feed the animals. This innovative approach has been yielding positive results, with the prison generating funds for its upkeep and providing valuable skills training to inmates.
According to CSP Richard Bukari, the Head of Public Relations at the Ashanti Regional Prison Command, the prison is currently operating at maximum capacity, with around 1,600 inmates, despite being designed to accommodate only 500. He cited overcrowding, insufficient feeding allowances, inadequate healthcare, and a lack of office space for senior prison officials as some of the challenges confronting the inmates.
To address the issue of overcrowding, CSP Bukari advocated for proactive engagement with all stakeholders within the criminal justice system to mitigate the remand population. He also suggested transferring low-risk prisoners to agricultural facilities and urged the grant of Presidential Amnesty and the implementation of legal reforms as part of non-custodial sentences.
The prison is also focusing on vocational training, with 10 per cent of inmates currently undergoing training, and plans to increase that figure to 15 per cent in the near future. CSP Bukari appealed to philanthropists and organisations to support the Service with ICT equipment to enable more inmates to acquire valuable skills by the time they complete their sentences.
The Ghana Prison Service is working with the Ministry of Agriculture to expand its agricultural activities, with the goal of supplementing the feeding of prisoners and supporting the government's GH¢5 per inmate daily feeding allocation. The Service has acquired large tracts of land at Sakora Wonoo in the Kwabre Municipality for commercial farming, which is expected to generate funds for the facility's upkeep.
The initiatives adopted by the Kumasi Central Prison demonstrate the Ghana Prisons Service's commitment to improving inmate welfare and reducing its reliance on the government. Key efforts include generating internal revenue through commercial activities, expanding agricultural activities, and providing vocational training to inmates.
Key points
- The Kumasi Central Prison currently has around 1,600 inmates, exceeding its original capacity of 500.
- The prison has embarked on commercial production of mineral water and is cultivating vegetable farmland to generate revenue and improve inmate welfare.
- The Ghana Prison Service is working with the Ministry of Agriculture to expand its agricultural activities and supplement the feeding of prisoners.
