DDP Mwinyelle Hails Increased Feeding Rate For Prison Inmates

DDP Ing. James B. Mwinyelle

 

The Ashanti Regional Commander of Prisons, Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP) Ing. James B. Mwinyelle, who also doubles as the Officer in Charge of the Kumasi Central Prison, has described the increase in the daily feeding rate for inmates from GH¢1.80 to GH¢5.00 as “a wonderful development” that will significantly enhance the welfare of prisoners across the country.

In an exclusive interview with DAILY GUIDE in Kumasi on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, DDP Mwinyelle said the long-awaited adjustment in the feeding rate was a major step towards improving conditions in Ghana’s prisons, where the previous rate had remained unchanged for many years.

“The increase from GH¢1.80 to GH¢5.00 is a big jump, and it will go a long way to improve the quality of meals served. Feeding is one of the topmost welfare issues, and once that is taken care of, the health of the inmates will improve, and the pains of imprisonment will be lessened a bit,” he noted.

He revealed that the Kumasi Central Prison, which currently houses over 1,600 inmates, has already begun revising its food menu to ensure that prisoners feel the full benefit of the increase.

“It will not be business as usual. We are now preparing a new menu to include rice, beans, and groundnuts to meet nutritional and protein requirements. We even hope to serve eggs once a month or every other week,” he disclosed.

To complement the improved diet, DDP Mwinyelle said the prison administration was expanding its vegetable garden at Bekwai Roundabout to reduce costs and supplement meals with fresh produce.

“Our Director General, Mrs. Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, has directed that every prison establishment should have a garden, and here in Kumasi, we are already cultivating vegetables. We plan to expand so that a portion of the GH¢5.00 will go into carbohydrates, while the vegetables will balance the nutrition,” he explained.

He further expressed gratitude to the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, and the Director General of the Ghana Prisons Service for their instrumental roles in securing the increase.

“The Interior Minister has shown great commitment from day one. He told us he would take us out of the ‘orphanage,’ and indeed, we are beginning to see that transformation,” he said, and also commended the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene for his support.

DDP Mwinyelle cautioned that inadequate feeding often contributes to disturbances and health challenges within prisons, emphasising that the new rate would help maintain calm and improve overall welfare.

Think Prison 360 Initiative

Touching on the Think Prison 360 Initiative launched earlier this year by the Ghana Prisons Service, DDP Mwinyelle said the project aims to reshape public perception of prisons as reformation centres rather than dumping grounds.

“The initiative is a reset agenda for the Ghana Prisons Service. It reminds society that the prison is not a place to dump people. When the state fails to invest in reforming inmates, everyone becomes unsafe,” he remarked.

He appealed to relatives, philanthropists, and the general public to continue supporting the prison system through donations, partnerships, and advocacy to sustain reforms and improve inmate welfare.

“The increase in feeding rate is a major step forward, and we are exceedingly grateful to the government. But as Oliver Twist, we will always ask for more—perhaps GH¢10.00 next year,” he concluded with optimism.

FROM David Afum, Kumasi

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