By Dorothy Frances Ward 

Kumasi, May 30, GNA – The government urgently needs the support of private organisations and well-meaning individuals to improve the current state of some prisons in the country.  

This support is essential for the government to fulfil its constitutional mandate of reforming inmates and reintegrating them into society after they serve their sentences. 

Mr. James Mwinyelle, Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP), Ashanti Regional Commander of the Ghana Prisons Service, made this call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), in Kumasi.  

He highlighted the numerous challenges faced by the country’s prisons, including congestion, inadequate meals, lack of medication, insufficient transportation, and delays in the trial processes of remanded inmates. 

He noted that the Kumasi Central Prison, established in 1901 by the British colonial administration, was originally built to accommodate 500 inmates, but it currently holds 1,981 inmates. 

According to Mr. Mwinyelle, prisons are not only safe spaces for remand prisoners and convicted individuals, but they also have the potential to serve as rehabilitation centres for all, including public figures.  

Therefore, prisons should be given due attention and prioritised in the national development agenda. 

He added that inmates are provided with vocational training and education to equip them with skills and knowledge for reintegration into society.  

In addition, various income-generating ventures are in place to support their rehabilitation. 

Mr. Mwinyelle stressed that transforming the prison system is a collective responsibility, urging all Ghanaians to get involved.  

GNA 

Edited by YI/Benjamin Mensah