Government urged to increase feeding fee for Prison inmates

David Yiridong Issaka, Director of Centre for Social Development (CSD), a non-governmental organization (NGO), has appealed to government to increase the feeding fee for prison inmates in the country.

He said currently prison inmates were marked GH¢1.80p daily to take care of three square meals and indicated it was woefully inadequate.

He made the appeal during the launch of "Harnessing Opportunities for Prisoners and Ex-convicts (HOPE) project, in Tamale.

The project, implemented by CSD with funding support from the French Embassy in Ghana through its DWABO Project, seeks to improve the well-being of prisoners and ex-convicts in the Northern Region.

The 12-month project is expected to improve access to justice delivery services, promotion of non-custodial sentencing and enhanced community reintegration opportunities for both prisoners and ex-convicts in the Tamale Central Prison.

He reiterated that the current feeding fee for inmates was not sufficient for their well-being, and urged stakeholders and other corporate bodies to support the inmates with food and other consumables to enhance their well-being.

Mr Issaka noted that HOPE project would assist inmates to have fair legal representation to re-examine their cases.

Reverend Father Gerald Zienaa, a Member of Board of Directors of CSD Reform, said the CSD would be partnering Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Legal Aid Commission and the Tamale Central Prison among other partners to implement the project.

He stated that the project would also focus on building the capacity of staff of the Tamale Central Prison to provide para-legal services to inmates.

The Northern Regional Commander of Prison Service, Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP) Samuel Sapak Zoogah, called on government and other partners to support the inmates to have access to quality health care.

He noted that the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) does not cover some of the illnesses of inmates, and said they needed support from government and benevolent organizations to access health care.

He appealed to the CSD Reform to extend their services to other inmates in the Northern Region to help improve their conditions while in Prison.

The CSD Reform is an NGO working to promote social inclusion and economic justice for poor and vulnerable people in Northern Ghana.