BY Grace Zigah
The National Democratic Congress government has announced a significant increase in the daily feeding allowance for prisoners across the country, raising the amount from GHC1.80 to GHC5.00 per inmate.
The decision, approved by President John Dramani Mahama, comes after years of criticism over the poor nutritional standards in Ghana’s prisons.
The Auditor-General had previously flagged the GHC1.80 daily allocation as grossly inadequate, warning that it posed a serious threat to the health and welfare of inmates.
Reports indicated that the low allocation forced prison officials to improvise with poorly balanced meals, leading to malnutrition and frequent unrest within correctional facilities.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, Interior Minister Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak admitted that the state of prison feeding had been dire for years.
He disclosed that the president’s directive to increase the feeding grant to GHC5.00 was a step toward correcting long-standing challenges.
“This is a good start. We cannot pretend any longer that inmates are being adequately taken care of. The new rate will help address food shortages and restore dignity in our prisons,” he told lawmakers.
The Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service Patience Baffoe-Bonnie also welcomed the decision, noting that poor feeding had far-reaching consequences.
He stressed that the health of inmates was directly linked to security within the facilities.
“Once the feeding regime is wrong, it affects the well-being of prisoners. In the past, inmates have rioted because of insufficient food. This increment will help reduce tensions and improve stability in our facilities,” he said.
Beyond feeding, the government has also moved to reduce congestion in prisons.
The Interior Minister revealed that overcrowding had dropped from 36 percent to 34 percent following a recent presidential amnesty granted to more than 900 inmates.
Over the years, congestion has been one of the biggest challenges facing Ghana’s prison system, with the Nsawam Medium Security Prison, for instance, holding nearly three times its intended capacity.
