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 GH¢1.80 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.
Mr James B. Mwinyelle, Ashanti Regional Commander of Prisons and Officer In-charge of the Kumasi Central Prisons, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Kumasi 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 said 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.
He said bathing soap for the inmates is also a major challenge, adding that, the facility needed an amount of GH¢8,000.00 every month to purchase a carbolic soap for each one of the inmates.
Mr Mwinyelle pointed out that ‘Banku’ and ‘Keta boys’ soup was the daily meal for the inmates, adding that rice was served once a year, especially during the Christmas festivities.
He said it was important for the State to take a second look at the state of affairs in the country’s prisons and come up with urgent measures to address them.
He said the feeding grant to inmates needed urgent review to reflect on the current cost of living and the prices of food items on the market.
The Regional Commander said the Prisons authorities had already proposed between GH¢7 to GH¢10 per each inmate per day and this needed to be looked at urgently to address the challenges facing the prisons.
He stressed the need to bring the prisons closer to society since the inmates were part of the society.
He said it was important to reform the country’s criminal justice system to promote non-custodial sentences such as community service to help reduce congestion at the prisons.
MrMwinyelle said reformation was part of the mandate of the Prisons Service, adding that everybody deserved a second chance, no matter his or her current situation.
He called on Ghanaians to take keen interest on issues affecting the country’s prisons system and support it to make the place friendly since everybody could be part of it.
GNA
