Uganda Prisons Reaps Shs 17Billion Worth of Agricultural Produce

Uganda Prison Service is taking larger strides toward more self-reliance and betterment of the welfare of inmates.

With focus on agriculture, Uganda Prison is amongst the leading producers of both cotton and maize in the country.

This year alone according to Ministry of Internal Affairs, inmates were able to produce up 2,536 bales of cotton harvested from 4,000 acres. These are valued at Shs.2.23bn

The Prisoners also produced 1,251Metric Tons of maize seed valued at shs.1.692bn, and another 9,960 tons of maize grain worth Shs 13.44Billion to contribute to their feeding requirements.

This produce alone is valued at Shs 17.36Billion.

This money is not only being ploughed back into the farms to improve on mechanization, but also helping in building Prisoners’ other social skills.

Uganda Prison this year acquired 5 tractors and their accessories to enhance farm mechanization.

A total of 4 Rubb halls have also been built at Lugore, Kiburara, Isimba and Ibuga to reduce post-harvest losses.

A pilot small scale irrigation scheme at Bulaula prison farm is currently being implemented to enhance cotton production.

These kinds of Prisoner engagements and training according to the ministry have helped bring down the recidivism  (repeat offending) rate to 15.6%, down from 17.2% in the previous period.

This rate is among the lowest in the world.

The repeat offence rates in developed countries such as the UK and the US, which have much better prison facilities stand at 30% and 76% respectively.

Uganda Prisons’ escape rate has also reduced from 3.1 per 1000 prisoners to 2.7 per 1,000 held offenders over the past year.

Meanwhile, the Prisons are also deploying more resources to inmates’ health care, and the overall welfare of Prison staff.

Up to 571 Staff living with HIV AIDS have been supported with drugs for opportunistic infections and nutritional support.

Staff welfare has also been enhanced through the prisons SACCO whose membership has grown from 9,447 to 9,567

A total of 230 children staying with their mothers in Prisons are receiving special care for growth and development while up to 882 inmates are getting sex offence treatment programs and entrepreneurial skills training.