Despite the nascent chal­lenges afflict­ing Ghana's correctional facilities, the Kumasi Central Prison is making significant strides in generating in­ternal revenue to sustain its inmate population.The Kumasi Central Prison has embarked on the commercial production of mineral water, both in sachet and bottled forms, for consumption and sale to the gen­eral public.Moreover, the service is culti­vating vegetable farmland year-round, not only to supplement the nutrition of inmates but also to generate additional funds through public sales.In an interview with The Gha­naian Times, the Ashanti Regional Commander of the Ghana Prisons Service, DDP James Mwinyelle, remarked that despite the myriad challenges they face, surrendering to despair was not an option.Consequently, he stated that his team had adopted innovative mea­sures, including securing approval from the Food and Drugs Author­ity, to establish a drinking water production facility, which is already catering to the needs of the general populace, among other initiatives.The water production plant, sit­uated at Adum within the vicinity of the Central Prison Barracks, is operated by inmates (with super­vision by Prison Officers) who produce drinking water in com­mercial quantities under hygienic conditions.DDP Mwinyelle, who also serves as the Officer-In-Charge of the Kumasi Central Prison, enumerat­ed several challenges confronting the inmates, including overcrowd­ing, insufficient feeding allow­ances, inadequate healthcare, and a lack of office space for senior prison officials.Regarding the issue of inmate overcrowding, the Regional Com­mander advocated for proactive engagement with all stakeholders within the criminal justice system to mitigate the remand population, in particular."We must also consider trans­ferring low-risk prisoners to agricultural facilities,'' urging the Grant of Presidential Amnesty and implementing legal reforms such as Parole, as part of non-custodial sentences, all aimed at alleviating overcrowding in our prisons.The Kumasi Central Prison currently has around 1,600 inmates instead of 500 as originally de­signed.He emphasised the necessity for effective reintegration of dis­charged inmates to deter recidi­vism.To ensure adequate healthcare for inmates in the region, the Commander indicated that the service was actively collaborating with KOMFO Anokye Teaching Hospital and expressed gratitude to the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, for reno­vating the healthcare centre at Ku­masi Central Prison and providing essential medical supplies to stock the facility."My department is also engaging various NGOs to sponsor free health screening initiatives and sup­ply medications to the healthcare centre," he added.Regarding vocational training, DDP Mwinyelle elucidated that it is the mandate of the Prisons Ser­vice to offer skill development op­portunities to inmates, with 10 per cent currently undergoing training and plans to increase that figure to 15 per cent in the near future.He appealed to philanthropists and organisations to support the service with ICT equipment to enable more inmates to acquire valuable skills by the time they complete their sentences.DDP Mwinyelle expressed his gratitude to the Ashanti Regional Minister, the Kumasi Mayor, faith-based organisations, individuals, and both private and public entities who have supported and continue to bolster the Prisons Service in various capacities, enabling them to fulfil their duties effectively. BY GORDON WELLU