The state of the Ghana’s prisons has put many inmates health at risk. This has triggered calls for rapid action to address the problem and ensure detainees are treated with dignity and respect.Speaking to the National PRO for Ghana Prisons, Superintendent Adamu Latiff Abdul on Ahomka fm and Ocean 1 tv, he confirmed that indeed the prisons are facing critical problems which unattended to, may become more serious than meet the eye.According to him, all form of education is being given to the inmates such as basic education and vocational education.”Over-crowding of the prisons has been there since ages. The prison rate was initially 51% but currently 45%. That literally means there has been an improvement in the over-crowding conditions of the prisons”, he stressed.According to him, communicable disease has been the major problem as a result of the over-crowding situations. Officers and inmates contract diseases and pass it on because of this same condition. Diseases such as TB and chicken pox is common in the prisons and it spreads rapidly.Again, another problems encountered by the prisons is the pressure that bestows on the prisons and officers because of the many inmates.”From 2011 till date, the amount of money given to the inmates as their pocket money is GHC 1.80ps daily. What we do to support them is to feed them from the various agricultural proceeds they do themselves” he hintedHowever, we have registered most of the inmates for BECE. The few that writes BECE yearly, passes. Currently, we have some of our students in Mfantsipim Senior High, Legon Presec and many more”.
Story by : Mercy Collins
