Prisons slash meal costs by millions with home-grown food
A recent report from the Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) has revealed that government spent over N$118 million on food for 4 702 inmates over the past three years, marking a 33% reduction in food costs had the prisons not relied on self-produced food items.
The report outlines a detailed breakdown of expenses for daily meals for inmates across a three-year period from 2022 up to 2024.
It highlighted that Namibian prisons increasingly rely on food produced at their facilities, including maize meal, pork, brown bread and vegetables, which saves government millions of dollars per year.
The prisons also produce 'max-a-meal', a mixture of crushed maize grains, sugar beans and lentils.
Without self-produced foods, the cost of feeding 4 702 inmates would have totalled N$176.4 million over the three years under review, according to the report.
By incorporating food produced on prison-operated farms, total spending amounted to N$118.6 million.
“Over three years, using self-produce saves the government N$12 290.40 per inmate, cutting the cost from N$37 519.92 to N$25 229.52, which is 33% savings per inmate,” the report reads.
Self-sufficient
The report further noted that despite the work of inmates at prison-operated farms, a year-on-year analysis shows a steady increase in overall nutrition costs due to inflation and rising food prices.
The daily ration cost per inmate rose from N$31.98 in 2022 to N$35.30 in 2024.
In contrast, the cost of goods produced by the prisons increased more modestly, from N$27.08 to N$29.86 per inmate per day over the same period.
In 2022, Namibian Sun reported that the NCS had saved over N$18 million during the previous two financial years by producing food at two correctional facilities.
The Divundu Correctional Facility in Kavango East and the Evaristus Shikongo Correctional Facility in Oshikoto produced food items worth more than N$20.9 million for the 2022–2023 financial years.
It was further reported that the Divundu Correctional Facility supplies all correctional institutions with maize meal, max-a-meals and bread flour.
The facility also supplies maize meal and bread to Divundu, Ndiyona and Omega police stations.
According to NCS, bread flour supplied to correctional facilities is used by inmates to bake their own bread and is also distributed to police holding cells close to any of the fourteen correctional facilities.
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The report outlines a detailed breakdown of expenses for daily meals for inmates across a three-year period from 2022 up to 2024.
It highlighted that Namibian prisons increasingly rely on food produced at their facilities, including maize meal, pork, brown bread and vegetables, which saves government millions of dollars per year.
The prisons also produce 'max-a-meal', a mixture of crushed maize grains, sugar beans and lentils.
Without self-produced foods, the cost of feeding 4 702 inmates would have totalled N$176.4 million over the three years under review, according to the report.
By incorporating food produced on prison-operated farms, total spending amounted to N$118.6 million.
“Over three years, using self-produce saves the government N$12 290.40 per inmate, cutting the cost from N$37 519.92 to N$25 229.52, which is 33% savings per inmate,” the report reads.
Self-sufficient
The report further noted that despite the work of inmates at prison-operated farms, a year-on-year analysis shows a steady increase in overall nutrition costs due to inflation and rising food prices.
The daily ration cost per inmate rose from N$31.98 in 2022 to N$35.30 in 2024.
In contrast, the cost of goods produced by the prisons increased more modestly, from N$27.08 to N$29.86 per inmate per day over the same period.
In 2022, Namibian Sun reported that the NCS had saved over N$18 million during the previous two financial years by producing food at two correctional facilities.
The Divundu Correctional Facility in Kavango East and the Evaristus Shikongo Correctional Facility in Oshikoto produced food items worth more than N$20.9 million for the 2022–2023 financial years.
It was further reported that the Divundu Correctional Facility supplies all correctional institutions with maize meal, max-a-meals and bread flour.
The facility also supplies maize meal and bread to Divundu, Ndiyona and Omega police stations.
According to NCS, bread flour supplied to correctional facilities is used by inmates to bake their own bread and is also distributed to police holding cells close to any of the fourteen correctional facilities.
[email protected]
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