The Deputy Director of Prisons at the Koforidua Prisons, ADP Joseph Asabri, says the GH¢1.80 for a three-square would not make it possible for prisoners to have the luxury of enjoying a balanced diet to boost their immune systems against Covid-19 as the president has encouraged.

“Government feeds one prisoner, GH¢1.80 a day,” ADP Asabri said. “We pay suppliers and buy fire wood out of that, so in effect the GH¢1.80 is less for three square meals.”

He added: “So eating a balanced diet with meals such as Kontomire, Dawadawa and the rest would be difficult to manage with the GH¢1.80. They even asked us to use vitamin C to boost our immune system, all these would be difficult to do for us.”

ADP Asabri made this known when the Omega House Chapel of the Assemblies of God led by Head Pastor Prophet Albert Asihene-Agyakwa presented groceries and hand-washing items worth GH¢40,000 to them to help fight the spread of the virus.

The daily stipend given by government amounts to GH¢0.60 per meal for each prisoner.

The Koforidua Prisons has a total of over 650 inmates.

It relies on donations from religious organizations and benevolent individuals to augment what government provides.

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, management held fresh convicts for a mandatory 14-day quarantine before they join the larger population but that arrangement has been cancelled because the designated cells were becoming congested.

Fresh convicts are now being sent to Ankaful Prisons designated for the southern zone for the Central, Greater Accra and Eastern regions.

“We cannot continue to be creating cells because of congestion, so effective May 15, 2020 fresh inmates would be admitted at Ankaful prisons.”