TAMALE CENTRAL PRISON
Tamale Central Prison was established in 1914 with an inmate capacity of 78. The prison has since experienced the supervision of 32 Officers-in-charge (OICs) who also functioned as Northern Regional Commanders. Having operated as a single facility in the past, the prison shares the same gate with the two block Female Prison without any stain of sexual abuses. The prison has since inception introduced a number of training programmes for its inmates. These trade training programmes include:
- Basic literacy programs (through the Presidential Special Initiative-PSI- program)
- Block moulding/laying & concreting, Smock weaving, Basketry, Tailoring and Religious activities
YENDI LOCAL PRISON
Yendi Prison was established in 1890. This was during the Administration of the Germans who were colonial masters at the time. By 1949, a storey block was constructed as an expansion to the facility which served as offices to personnel of the prison. It is a category C facility which houses 2nd degree and misdemeanour offenders serving not more than 10 years. The prison does not have any trade training programmes for inmates. However, it engages in subsistent farming where participating inmates learn basic agricultural practices.
SALAGA LOCAL PRISON
Salaga Local Prison is a colonial inheritance. It was constructed with mud in the 20th century and used as a slave post. It held new slaves who were earmarked for transmission to the Cape Coast Castle which served as a shipping hub to the world’s slave markets. The 6 cells facility which operated as both Police and Prison posts immediately after the abolishing of the slave trade was later relinquished to the Prison Service after the former had secured a new facility for its operations. The prison currently has no training workshops for the inmates. However, the prison abounds in fertile lands where inmates are engaged in subsistent farming to acquire basic knowledge in farming practices. Inmates of the prison are also engaged in smock weaving which the prison intends to set up a well-furnished shop for their training.
GAMBAGA LOCAL PRISON
Gambaga Local is a category C prison with 2nd degree and misdemeanour offenders serving not more than 10yrs. The prison which started as a dual purpose facility in 1847 functioned as both police operating point and as a prison until it was later converted into a prison facility.
