Accra: Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP) Joseph Asabre, the Central Regional Commander of the Ghana Prisons Service, has advocated for prison schools to be included in the national school feeding programme. He explained that access to adequate nutrition would help inmates to concentrate better in class and fully participate in vocational training, while supporting rehabilitation and reintegration efforts.
According to Ghana News Agency, feeding inmates properly was essential not only for their health and dignity, but also for effective learning and training within the prison system. DDP Asabre emphasized that prison education remained a critical tool for reform, equipping inmates with literacy, numeracy, and practical skills needed to reduce recidivism and improve their socioeconomic prospects after incarceration.
DDP Asabre made the appeal when Mr. Daniel Kwasi Ahiamah, the Executive Director of the Complementary Education Agency (CEA), and his staff presented quantities of assorted drinks, teaching, and learning materials to the Ankaful Maximum Security Prison in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipality of the Central Region. The delegation also interacted with some inmates who had taken up formal education while in prison to build their capacity to live dignified lives after their incarceration.
DDP Asabre commended the government for increasing the feeding grant for inmates from 1.8 pesewas to GHS5 per inmate per day. However, he noted that the amount remained woefully inadequate to meaningfully provide sufficient meals for inmates. He expressed concern about how the lack of furniture had forced inmates seeking formal education to learn in uncomfortable conditions, causing physical discomfort, poor concentration, fatigue, reduced participation, lower academic performance, and discouragement from education.
Another pressing issue, according to him, was the lack of teaching and learning materials, particularly books, notebooks, pens, charts, and other basic classroom resources. The situation hindered effective teaching, independent study, and lesson revision, leading to weak understanding, poor knowledge retention, low exam performance, and frustration for both teachers and inmates.
He highlighted the need for a modern library with reading materials and computers for ICT training, as the facility currently denies inmates access to textbooks, reference resources, and essential digital skills, leaving students disadvantaged in examinations. Additionally, many inmates produce art and crafts to stay productive and build post-release skills, but these items often remain unsold due to few buyers, leading to discouragement, lost motivation, and reduced interest in vocational training.
DDP Asabre made a strong call for support from government agencies, philanthropists, civil society organizations, churches, businesses, and the public. Supporting the purchase and promotion of inmates' crafts, he said, would not only help them financially but also build their confidence and prepare them for productive lives after release. He emphasized that, with the right support, prison craft work could become a powerful tool for rehabilitation, empowerment, and reintegration.
The donation aimed to empower prisoners with knowledge and skills for rehabilitation and reintegration into society, fostering personal development and reducing recidivism. The Agency expressed its firm commitment to supporting complementary education for inmates, in line with its mandate to provide non-formal education opportunities to out-of-school children, adolescents, and adults across the country who lack access to mainstream schooling.