Superintendent Dennis Peasah, the Public Relations Officer of the Sunyani Central Prisons says the prison’s aquaculture and poultry projects will add high nutritional value to the diets of inmates.

Besides, he said the execution of the projects further sought to promote skills development and generate sustainable revenue for the central prisons.

“The intervention is being spearheaded by our Regional Commander, the Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP) Thompson Otsyokpo who recognizes the importance of rehabilitation of inmates through practical training”, Supt Peasah told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Sunyani.

He explained that the project sought to equip inmates with employable skills as well as creating alternative sources of income for the prisons, explaining that three fishponds had been constructed within the prison premises.

Supt Peasah said with support from the Bono Regional Fisheries Commission, a large earth pond with the capacity of containing approximately 10,000 fishes and two tarpaulin ponds were yet to be stocked with the fingerlings.

He said some of the inmates and officers of the command had been trained in fish farming like pond management, feeding, harvesting, and marketing to manage the facility.

Supt Peasah explained that the central prisons had also received a donation of 200 birds and feeds from a philanthropist to commence the poultry project too, explaining that the proceeds from the poultry and aquaculture projects would help sustain the operations of the facility.

That would greatly position the facility’s overreliance and dependence on the limited government feeding allocations for the inmates.

Supt Peasah said the projects also aligned with the “Wealth Creation and Welfare of Inmates” pillars of the “Think Prisons 360 Degrees” reform programme.

He explained the Ghana Prisons Service introduced the programme to make the nation’s prisons “as a center of hope, healing and productivity”, and called on individuals, philanthropists, corporate institutions, and faith-based organizations to support the implementation of the programme.