TAMALE PRISONS WANTS FEEDING GRANTS INCREASED (PAGE 29)

SEVERAL attempts by the authorities of the Tamale Central Prisons over the years to get the government and stakeholders to increase the feeding grants of the inmates have still not materialised.
Currently, the daily allocation of 60Gp as feeding grant to each inmate is woefully inadequate, while the prisons is still grappling with overcrowding, lack of access to good health care for the inmates and inadequate staff and accommodation facilities, among other challenges.
Ironically, the Ghana Prison Service Decree NRCD 46 of 1972 enjoins the service to primarily ensure the safe custody and welfare of inmates, and where practicable, reform and rehabilitate them.
As a result of the trying conditions under which the authorities of the prisons work, it has become increasingly difficult for the service to fulfil its statutory and mandatory roles.
According to the acting Officer-in-Charge of the Prisons, Mr Samuel Tannor, “we are working under trying conditions as we are not spared the global credit crunch because ours was very manifest before the crunch began”.
He explained that more than half of the staff at the prisons stayed outside the barracks, adding that this did not augur well for the smooth administration of the prison.
The officer indicated that in spite of the challenges confronting his outfit, reformation and rehabilitation of the inmates had “engaged our attention nonetheless”.
Mr Tannor stated that 41 inmates were undergoing studies under the President’s Special Initiative on Distance Learning (PSI-DL).
He said other inmates were also being trained to acquire such skills as block laying and concreting, catering, tailoring, electrical/electronics, shoemaking and blacksmithing.
The female prison also trains inmates in pastries and preparation of kenkey.
The officer further intimated that the local prisons engaged the inmates in large-scale farming activities in maize, yam, cowpea, groundnuts, fuel wood, teak and moringa cultivation.
“Both our Religious Affair and Counselling officers and external religious persons visit the prisons regularly to give religious and moral counselling to the inmates,“ Mr Tannor said.