SUNYANI CENTRAL PRISONS INAUGURATES BLOCK FACTORY

From Michael Sarpong MFUM, Sunyani

The Prisons Service has inaugurated a block moulding factory in the Brong Ahafo Regional capital, Sunyani, to give training to inmates on how to mould blocks, as part of its objective of reforming convicts serving prison terms in the facility.

ASP Ziniel B. Vincent, the Brong Ahafo Regional Prisons Service PRO, who made this known to The Finder, said the establishment of the block factory is to offer employable skills to the prison inmates to make them relevant to their societies when they go back after serving their jail term.

According to him, the factory will produce blocks in commercial quantities to be sold to individuals and organisations who may need them.

Revenue from the factory will be used for the running of the prison facility to complement government efforts and also expand the capacity of the factory to be able to produce more.

ASP Ziniel also disclosed that the Prisons Service is in the process of establishing a fund, called 'Earning Scheme,' for the inmates who will be working at the block moulding factory.

He explained that, under the scheme, the Prisons Service will create an account for each of the inmates working at the factory, and a percentage of the amount realised from the sale of the blocks will be allocated to the account of each inmate as his commission.

According to him, the purpose of the scheme is to raise money for the prisoners so that upon their release they can get money for transportation and use the rest as seed capital to establish themselves. This, he says, will address the financial nightmare the inmates face when they are released from jail.

The PRO also revealed that some of the inmates are into shoe-making, and they are making efforts to get some of the schools and the security agencies to patronise the shoes made by the prisoners, to enable them raise funds to sustain their business and boost their employable skills.

He, therefore, appealed to individuals and organisations to come to the aid of the Prisons Service by donating generously to it to enable the service address the numerous challenges it is confronted with, in order to make the facility conducive for the inmates.