Sunyani Central Prison opens car wash, vulcanising centre to equip inmates with employable skills

A new skills development centre has officially opened at the Sunyani Central Prison, offering inmates practical training in car washing and tyre repairs. The facility, commissioned on October 30, 2026, is part of the Ghana Prisons Service's Think Prisons 360 Degrees programme, which aims to bolster rehabilitation and reintegration efforts for former inmates.

The project, made possible by philanthropist Eric Kumi, CEO of Erikama Enterprise, will equip prisoners with vocational skills to help them secure employment or start their own businesses post-incarceration. Speaking at the event, Director of Prisons (DOP) Thompson Otsyokpo praised Kumi for his investment in inmate rehabilitation, noting that such initiatives provide inmates with the means to become economically independent and positively contribute to society upon release.

GCB Bank supported the project by drilling a borehole to ensure a consistent water supply for the car wash. Madam Mariam Aziz, a sign-language interpreter to the President, donated an overhead water storage tank. Kumi, motivated by his desire to aid inmate rehabilitation, urged the inmates to embrace the opportunity, stay committed to learning, and utilize their newly acquired skills effectively.

The centre will offer practical training in car washing, vehicle cleaning, tyre repairs, and other vulcanising services, enabling inmates to develop skills that could enhance their prospects of finding employment or launching businesses upon their release.