The Kumasi Central Prisons is harnessing the unique skills of its inmates after establishing a water manufacturing hub to produce sachet and bottled water.
According to the prison, it has obtained accreditation and approval from the Food and Drugs Authority for mass production of the drinking water.
The water manufacturing plant, located in the Kumasi Central Prison barracks in Adum, is employing the services of the inmates and other personnel of the prison to produce the water under hygienic conditions.
The project is part of the broader efforts streamlined by the prisons to equip and hone the vocational skills of inmates for future job opportunities should they gain their freedom.
Deputy Director of the Prisons Services and the Ashanti Regional Commander of Prisons, James B. Mwinyelle says proceeds from the trade is used in expansion works of the facility to allow more inmates learn the skill.
“All the workshops we give the inmates is to train them and also generate income. This will help the inmates start a living once they exit the four walls of the prison,” he noted.
The prison is also currently cultivating a vegetable farmland in the region, where produce from the farm is fed to the prison’s kitchen to complement foodstuff for feeding.