Interior Minister Calls for Private Sector Partnerships to Improve Prison Agriculture and Security

Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak is urging private sector involvement to enhance agricultural production and security within Ghana’s prison system.

Mubarak proposed that inmates be engaged in cultivating prison-owned arable land to provide food for the facilities and generate revenue.

He also suggested establishing an industrial hub in prisons to create income-generating opportunities that aid inmate rehabilitation.

During a meeting with religious leaders in Kumasi, Mubarak emphasized the need for partnerships in prison agriculture, noting that only a small percentage of inmates are currently involved in farming due to limited resources. He called for partnerships that could enable the use of machinery to increase productivity.

Additionally, the Minister highlighted plans to introduce advanced technology, such as X-ray scanners and surveillance cameras, to curb drug trafficking within prisons.

He stressed the importance of improving security measures, particularly given the current overcrowding of prisons, with over 14,000 inmates housed in facilities meant for fewer than 10,000. Mubarak reiterated the crucial role of the Prisons Service in rehabilitating and reintegrating inmates back into society.