Prisons inconveniently sited on sale

Ho, Feb. 21, GNA - Structures of Prisons establishments located within townships are to be sold and proceeds used to build new ones at more convenient locations.

Already offers have been received for the Maamobi in Accra, Kumasi Central and Obuasi prison buildings.

Mr William Asiedu Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, said this on Tuesday at the inauguration of the Volta Regional Prisons Committee in Ho.

Mr Asiedu was reacting to concerns by Mrs Felicia Otchere-Darko, a Chief State Attorney in the Volta Region and also a member of the Prisons Committee about the state of the Ho Prison, which is situated between offices and residential properties. He said the Ho Prisons building was also on offer but to date nobody or body corporate had expressed interest in its purchase. He said a new prison was being considered for Akaa in the Jasikan District.

Mr Ashittey Adjei, Chairman of the Prisons Council, said prisons should not be regarded as places of punishment but as institutions of correction and rehabilitation. He said the Prisons Council was working together with relevant bodies to better the lot of prisoners and treat them with the dignity they deserved.

"We want them to come out of our correctional institutions as reformed persons armed with skills to contribute their quota to nation building", he said. Mr Adjei, who is also Managing Director of ECOBAK, said the Council would encourage various regional committees to share in this approach and to see to the accomplishment of this vision. 21 Feb. 07