Kumasi: The increasing number of inmates at the Kumasi Central Prisons is becoming a serious concern to the managers of the facility. The prisons facility, which was constructed in 1901 and expanded in 1935 to accommodate 500 inmates, now has 1,627. Among them are 1,214 convicts and 230 offenders who are on remand. Feeding this huge number of inmates has become a huge burden on the authorities, who rely on a feeding grant of GhS1.80 per inmate per day to prepare food for them. This has resulted in a poor feeding regime, which is having a serious health issue for the inmates.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. James B. Mwinyelle, Ashanti Regional Commander of Prisons and Officer In-charge of the Kumasi Central Prisons, stated that excessive congestion, poor feeding, ill-health among inmates, and high cost of medical treatment for inmates had become a serious headache to the authorities of the facility. He emphasized that the congestion, poor feeding, and lack of space for exercise among inmates needed urgent attention to protect the health of the inmates and thereby reduce the high cost of medical treatment, which had become a burden for the Prison Service.
Mr. Mwinyelle highlighted that bathing soap for the inmates is also a major challenge, with the facility needing an amount of GhS8,000.00 every month to purchase carbolic soap for each inmate. He noted that 'Banku' and 'Keta boys' soup were the daily meals for the inmates, and rice was served once a year, especially during the Christmas festivities. He stressed the importance of the state taking a second look at the state of affairs in the country's prisons and coming up with urgent measures to address them.
He further mentioned that the feeding grant to inmates needed urgent review to reflect the current cost of living and the prices of food items on the market. The Regional Commander stated that the Prisons authorities had already proposed between GhS7 to GhS10 per inmate per day, and this needed to be looked at urgently to address the challenges facing the prisons.
Mr. Mwinyelle emphasized the need to bring the prisons closer to society since the inmates were part of society. He also called for the reformation of the country's criminal justice system to promote non-custodial sentences such as community service to help reduce congestion at the prisons. He reiterated that reformation was part of the mandate of the Prisons Service, adding that everybody deserved a second chance, no matter their current situation. He urged Ghanaians to take a keen interest in issues affecting the country's prisons system and support efforts to make the place more accommodating, as everyone could potentially be part of it.
