Review feeding grant for prisoners - Prisons Service

The Ghana Prisons Service has reiterated an upward adjustment in the feeding fee from GH¢1.80 pesewas a day per prisoner to enable the Service to give inmates balanced and nutritious meals.

The Service indicated that given the current economic situation in the country, which had led to escalating food prices, the GH¢1.80 per prisoner per day was inadequate.
 
The Assistant Director of Prison in charge of the Akuse Local Prisons, ADP Ousmane Tasembedo made the appeal when the Customs Ladies Club, a club of the female employees of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) at the Tema Collection donated some food and non items to the Akuse Local Prison in the Eastern Region as part of the Easter celebrations on Wednesday, March 27, 2024.
 
The Customs Ladies Club, with support from the Tema Sector Commander, Assistant Commissioner Christiana Odi Adjei presented 20 cartons of fish, three bags of 50kg flour, six bags of  50 kg sugar, 24 bags of  25 kg rice, six bags of gari, a bag each of corn, groundnut, beans and pepper.
 
The rest were 10 boxes of sanitary pads, four boxes of soap, six bags of washing powder, six bags of washing powder, five sets of toilet seats, ten bags of toilet rolls, and cartons of beverages 
 
ADP Tasembedo said the Akuse Local prison, aside inadequate feeding, the facility was confronted with congestion 
 
He said the Akuse Local Prison was designed to accommodate 60 male inmates but currently house 250 inmates in the male section and 16 inmates in the female section, adding that the facility was congested and would require an expansion so the inmates can have some respite.
 
ADP Tasembedo however believes the government cannot do it alone, hence there was a need for individuals, organisations, religious groups, among others, to help with any support.
 
“But for such gestures like what you have done today, the situation would have been very precarious in the prisons’” he said while receiving the items from the President of the Customs Ladies Club, Rachael Jacintha Pyne.
 
ADP Tasembedo said to supplement the feeding of the inmates, the Prison authority in Akuse have taken advantage of the agriculture potential of the area and have embarked on rice and vegetable farming.
 
He said inmates of the Akuse prisons were able to harvest between 300 and 400 bags of rice from a 12 hectares farm adding that some of the produce from their farm was sent to Prison Headquarters for redistribution to about 15 other prison facilities throughout the country.
Gratitude 
 
The Assistant Director of Prison in charge of the Female section of the Female Prison at Akuse, ADP Joyce Annor-Owusu also added her voice to the feeding challenges, stressing that with the current skyrocketing of food prices, authorities were unable to buy food products at contract prices.
 
She was particularly grateful to Tema Customs Ladies of the Customs Division of the GRA adding that such gestures from philanthropic individuals and organisations went a long way to fill the gaps.
 
She said through the support of some philanthropic individuals and organisation the facility offers skills training in bakery, farming, tailoring among others which have gone a long way to empower the inmates to leave a meaningful life after they have been released 
 
ADP Annor-Owusu appealed for support to secure submersible pumps to be fitted on an existing borehole at the facility to improve supply for the inmates.
 
The President of the Customs Ladies Club, Rachael Jacintha Pyne said the donation was to make the inmates enjoy the Easter festivities adding that the love for Christ affects all humankind and donating to the prisoners was to show love to them. 
 
She urged the inmates not to lose hope but take advantage of the skills programmes being offered to enable them to integrate into society after their release.
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Writer’s email: Benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh