Mr Samuel Sarpong, Ashanti Regional Minister, has announced plans to relocate the Kumasi Central Prisons, a move that would significantly ease the congestion and improve prison conditions.

The prison, meant to hold 600 people, is now accommodating prisoners in excess of 2,000.

He said a bigger and more spacious facility would soon be built to solve the problem of overcrowding.

Mr Sarpong said this when he toured the prison and other security installations in the metropolis to get first hand information on their operational challenges and how to tackle them.

He described the present site of the prison - right in the centre of the city- as unsuitable and not helpful to the operations of the prison service.

He saluted the prison officers for the good job they were doing under difficult circumstances.

It was to their credit that no nasty incident had been recorded at the facility, he said, adding that that attested to their high level of professionalism and dedication to duty.

William Ofori Anoff, Deputy Controller of Prisons and Regional Commander, expressed worry about the congestion there and said it was defeating the purpose for which it was established.

He said it was only “warehousing” the inmates, ignoring the essential activity of helping them to reform by giving them employable skills.

He appealed for more support to assist expose the prisoners to trades that would enable them to earn decent living and prevent their going back to their bad ways after they regained their freedom.

The Kumasi Central Prisons was established in 1901 and upgraded in 1925 to keep just 600 inmates.