A new 1,500-capacity poultry facility has been inaugurated at the Nsawam Female Prison, not just to boost food supply but also to empower inmates with life-changing skills for reintegration into society.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Crime Check Foundation (CCF) with support from Rabotec Ghana Limited, forms part of the Director-General’s Kitchen Support Project aimed at supplementing prison feeding and creating sustainable rehabilitation opportunities.
Beyond Feeding: Building Skills for Life
Executive Director of CCF, Alhaji Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, said the poultry project was designed to go beyond supplementing food rations, giving inmates hands-on agricultural training.
“The goal is to make them self-reliant after their release, while also complementing the government’s ‘Nkokɔ Nketenkete’ poultry programme,” he explained.
The project is expected to improve national poultry production, reduce imports, expand veterinary services, and create jobs for the wider economy.
Expanding Across Prisons
Alhaji Kwarteng revealed that the Foundation, with donor support, intends to replicate the project in at least 20 prison facilities nationwide. “This will support the reformation and rehabilitation agenda of the Ghana Prisons Service,” he said, while commending Rabotec Ghana’s CEO, Mr. Ibrahim Ali, for championing the initiative.
A New Face for the Prisons Service
Director of Prisons in charge of Agriculture, Ali Ababio, speaking on behalf of the Director-General of Prisons, said the project reflects the Service’s new focus on agricultural development as a rehabilitation tool.
“This poultry project will not only help with inmate feeding but also serve as a source of revenue for the Service,” he noted, adding that 10 prisons are being targeted to raise a minimum of 200,000 birds under the programme.
Nsawam Female Prison Leads the Way
Deputy Director of Prisons, Victoria Adzawuda, Officer in charge of Nsawam Female Prison, emphasized that the project would “contribute to sustainable agricultural practices within the facility, provide reliable poultry products for inmate feeding, and support training to enhance reintegration.”
She also highlighted existing efforts, including a 3,000-capacity catfish farm at the facility where inmates are already being trained in aquaculture.
Towards Reintegration and Self-Sufficiency
With agriculture becoming central to rehabilitation, the Nsawam Female Prison is positioning itself as a model for blending reformation with productivity. Officials believe such initiatives will not only ease the burden of feeding but also prepare inmates with marketable skills that ensure their successful return to society.
