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Northern Regional Command

REGIONAL INFORMATION

The Northern Region is one of the sixteen/16 administrative regions of Ghana. Tamale is the capital town of the Northern Region and mostly inhabited by the Mole-Dagomba linguistic group. The city is a home to about 350.000 people. It is a nodal city that serves as a convergence zone as well as the commercial capital of the five/5 northern regions. Even though the Savannah and North East regions have been carved out of the Northern Region the Prisons in both regions are still under the command of the Northern Regional Command.

 

STATIONS UNDER THE NORTHERN REGIONAL COMMAND AND RESPECTIVE OFFICERS-IN-CHARGE

S/NO.

STATION
1. TAMALE CENTRAL PRISON
2. YENDI LOCAL PRISON
3. DAMONGO CAMP PRISON
4. SALAGA LOCAL PRISON
5 GAMBAGA LOCAL PRISON
6. TAMALE FEMALE PRISON

 

TAMALE CENTRAL PRISON

Brief History

Tamale Central Prison: According to oral history the prison was established in 1914 with an authorized capacity of 78 inmates made of 70 convict prisoners and 8 remand prisoners. Over the years, prison population has increased over and above the authorized capacity. The prison currently houses averagely 300 inmates.

Major Rehabilitation Programmes

  1. Smock weaving & sewing
  2. Shoemaking,
  3. Tailoring

Areas of Collaboration:

Tamale Central Prison collaborates with various organizations to improve on the inmates’ Safe Custody, Welfare, Rehabilitation and Reformation programs.

Current areas of collaboration include:

  1. Vocational Skill Training: The Centre for Social and Development Reform (CSD Reform) with support of MISERROR, a German Charity Organization, provided vocational skills training and assisted with tools and equipment for about 300 inmates prisoners on discharge.
  2. Paralegal Service: CSD Reform also supported the prison’s paralegal unit with training and office equipment including Laptop Computers and Printing Machine provided by French Embassy in Ghana
  3. Infrastructural development:Fatih Foundation collaborated with the prison to construct a mechanize borehole, that provides constant drinking water and improving hygiene.
  4. Office Furniture: Next Door Enterprise donated office chairs, tables and cabinet to the station
  5. Agriculture Activities: The Regional Command is in collaboration with Global Agricultural and Food Security Trust (GAFSP) through Alhaji Mohammed Mashood, the 2021 National Best Farmer for support for the Yendi and Salaga Local Prisons respectively, to improve their agricultural activities and offer the inmates employable skills by training them in modern agricultural techniques to live meaningful life upon discharge.
  6. Justice and integration: CDS Reform is working with the prison to promote justice, fair trials for remand prisoners and community reintegration for ex-convicts.

Other Areas Of Potential Collaboration Includes:

  1. Vocational skills training – Smock Weaving, Sewing, Shoe Making, Carpentry, Catering Services and Dance Band Services.
  2. Infrastructural Development – Rehabilitation of prison and office building, provision of workshops for skill training, rehabilitation of officers barracks.
  3. Provision of health care to the inmates.
  4. Sewing of uniforms: School Uniforms, Workers Uniform etc.
  5. Sewing of Sandals/Shoes for Students etc.

 

YENDI LOCAL PRISON

Brief History

Yendi Local Prison was established in 1890 and was expanded in 1949.

 It is a category C facility which is purported to house 2nd degree and misdemeanor offenders serving not more than 10years in custody.

It is basically a farming station where inmates learn basic agricultural practices. Its initial inmates capacity is approximately 56. Current inmates population stands at 64.

Major Rehabilitation Programmes at the Station: NIL

Current Areas of Collaboration

  1. Fellowship Programs: Collaboration with Faith Based Organization to provide emotional support and address personal concerns like suicide prevention.
  2.  Substances Abuse Programs: Annual events with Narcotic Control Commission (NACOC) to provide Therapy, Mental Health Support and Drug Abuse.
  3. Mental Health And Psycho-Social Training: program to enhance access to psycho-social support, arts therapy and counseling for inmates and officers.

Potential Areas of Collaboration

  1. Prisons infrastructure – renovation of existing structures.
  2. Skills training in the areas of Tailoring, Smock Weaving and Sewing.
  3. Agricultural inputs and machinery: Crop production, Poultry andAnimals husbandry

 

DAMONGO CAMP PRISON

The prison which is being constructed with funding from the Church of Pentecost is yet to be commissioned.

 

SALAGA LOCAL PRISON

Brief History

Salaga Local Prison was formally used as a slave warehouse to keep slaves who were brought to the market for sale in Salaga and could not be sold, and also those who were bought were kept for onward movement to their various destinations when the slave trade was in full force. After the abolition of the slave trade the facility was handed over to the Police and Prisons to be used as their offices due to the fact that the two institutions (Ghana Police and Ghana Prisons) were under one command.

The facility was officially handed over to the Ghana Prison Service in 1964 when it became autonomous and has since been so till date. The administration which was originally for the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) was also handed over to the prison.

The authorized capacity of the facility/prison is originally forty- eight/48 inmates but can accommodate up to senty-70 inmates.

Rehabilitation Program

The major rehabilitation programmes that the station has undertaken in terms of inmates is introducing them to farming, basket weaving and making of slippers for skill acquisition before being discharge from prison.

Areas of Collaboration

The religious affairs unit of the station collaborates with various churches and mosque to preach and counsel the inmates on good moral to aid in the smooth reintegration process.

The station is currently in talks with NGO’s such as SEND GHANA, CHOICE GHANA, the Municipal Assembly, the MP for Salaga South Constituency and the overlord of the land to assist the prison to fence or wall the facility.

Again the station is collaborating with Kosmos Innovation Center (KIC), Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and YARA Ghana for potential large scale farming in cereals (maize, cowpea and soya, tuber crops (yam and cassava) and vegetables.

Other Potential Areas of Collaborations include;

  1. Provision of potable water to the inmates i.e. A Mechanized borehole
  2. Provision of farm inputs and machinery to support in our agricultural programs in our quest to be self-sufficient in our food requirement

 

GAMBAGA LOCAL PRISON

Brief History

Gambaga Local Prison was established in 1847 by the colonial masters the Dutch and the British.

It was used as a depot for the slave trade, Bank, Police Station and turn into Prison in the 1960̓s. However, the station has never received any major renovation work.

Authorized Capacity

The capacity of the Prison is 22/twenty-two inmates.

Major Rehabilitation Programmes –          NIL

Areas Of Collaboration

  1. East Mamprusi Municipal Assembly donated Power Tiller and its accessories to support Agricultural activities.
  2. Ghana Health Service and Baptist Medical Centre, Nalerigu provides health education, immunization, screening and treatment for both inmates and officers.
  3. Pentecost Church- Religious services and donations to the inmates.
  4. Total Life Enhancement Centre Ghana (TOLEC GH)trained five/5 officers and four/4 inmates on counseling and the counseling was done for all inmates and some officers.

 Potential Areas of Collaboration

  1. Agricultural Machinery to support farming activities
  2. Provision of office equipment that is Printers, Computers etc.
  3. Repair and renovation of prison building.

 

TAMALE FEMALE PRISON

Brief History

The Tamale Female Prison started operating between 1950 to 1960 with two temporal Matrons. In 1970, well trained officers were posted from POTS to the station as Female Warden with the head being a temporal Matron by name madam Mariama Alidu.

Authorized Capacity:     Twelve (12) inmates

Major Rehabilitation Programmes:

  1. Kenkey Making
  2. Porridge and koose making

Areas Of Collaboration

1. Future establishment of a Beauty Salon:

The station plans to collaborate with Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) and Action Aid Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’S) for support to make it a reality.

2. The Station has a prospect of going into vegetable gardening to supplement the inmates ration and also sell some of the produce to serve as Internally Generated Fund. We envisage to contact Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) for support.

3. Intent of liaising with NGOs into Women Empowerment to help in the expansion and marketing of the prospective stations beading produce.

Prison Establishment