<<Print>>

The Minister of the Interior, Mr Mark Owen Woyongo, has expressed worry over the overcrowded nature of the prisons in the country. 

He said this borders on human rights abuses and exposes inmates to high risk of diseases.

According to him, Ghana was a signatory to the United Nation’s conventions and rules on handling prisoners and persons in detention, hence the need to conform to the International laws and best practices.

Speaking at the senior officers annual dinner dance last Friday in Accra, Mr Woyongo stated that the prisons system needed intensive reforms, and urged the prisons administration to adopt better ways of classifying and grouping offenders for effective reformation and social reintegration.

He also noted that the grouping of non-convicted prisoners, who were on remand, with convicted prisoners was inappropriate and must be addressed.

“The prisons service is not only to punish offenders but is also a place to reform offenders and return them to society as law-abiding citizens,” he said.

Consequently, he said, the government was planning to build separate facilities to house persons who had not yet been convicted by the law courts, adding that the plans to renovate dilapidated prison structures to improve living conditions for prisoners and staff were underway.

Decongest prisons
Touching on ways to decongest the prisons, Mr Woyongo explained that the Ministry of the Interior last year organised a stakeholders conference to develop non-custodial sentencing policy to grant the courts more sentencing options.

This, he said, when completed, would help reduce the high prison population and check congestion in the prisons.

Additionally, the minister said, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms were being examined and new sentencing guidelines were being developed for judges.

He believed that when the non-custodial and alternate sentencing bill were approved by parliament, there would be a considerably reduction in the number of people that entered the prisons.

Ceremony
The dinner dance of the senior officers of the prisons service is an annual event that brings together critical stakeholders to socialise with each other.

The occasion was also used to honour eight former council members of the prisons service and stakeholders who had contributed to the development of the service.

Among the awardees were Mr Benson Nutsupkui, Professor Jacob Plangule, Mr Stephen Adongo, Mrs Rejoice Ahiable, Mr Andrew Djokoto and Mr Johann Nartey, who were all former members of the Ghana Prisons Council.

The Interior Minister, Mr Woyongo, was also honoured for his contribution and advocacy for the improvement of the service. A representative of the British High Commission (BHC), Mr Mark Lio, was also honoured. 

Strategic plan
Presenting the awards, the Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Mrs Matilda Baffour-Awuah, commended the efforts of the former council members for their immense support to the service.

She stated that one of the legacies of the former council was the ten-year strategic plan which they developed for the prisons service, adding that the administration was working towards the achievement of the plan.

The strategic plan, she said, was aimed at improving on agriculture, industry, manpower development and image building of the service.

She also commended BHC for the refurbishment of the Nsawam court building and the clinic, which would help to bring justice closer to prisoners at the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons.