Isaac Osei deplores prison conditions in Ghana… Says prisons must be reformative, not penal

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Subin, Mr. Isaac Osei, has said problems facing our prisons must be the concern of all and sundry. He said environmental and sanitary conditions in the prisons must be thoroughly deliberated upon, and solutions found to them.

The Subin MP recommended, for the consideration of the Prison Council, to make the health issues of inmates a priority, in their bid to ensure reforms at the prisons.

The legislator said at the appropriate time, he would make suggestions to the Prison Council and government, for a change of the bad state of the prison, towards improving upon the lives of the inmates and prison officers.

MP Osei, who was sharing his experience at the prisons in a chat with The Chronicle in Kumasi, noted that prison ought to be reformative and not penal.

According to him, it was important for inmates to have access to quality healthcare.

He as well deplored congestion in the prisons, and stated that after 50 years of independence, something serious ought to be done about the conditions under which prisoners live.

Mr. Osei, who stated that he had earlier on two occasions visited the Kumasi Central Prisons as a parliamentary candidate, lamented over the poor state of the prisons, and promised to pay another visit there as an MP, around March or April this year, to assess the situation before a proposed Town Hall meeting with constituents, and see how best he could be of help.

He said even though the ultimate and prime responsibility of seeing to conditions of the prisons rest with the Ministry of the Interior and Director of Prisons, he would, as an MP, do his best to facilitate development and reforms in the prisons, of which the Kumasi prisons is located in his constituency.

The MP said it was time the government critically looked at the penal system, and took drastic measures towards decongesting the prisons.

Mr. Osei has gave the assurance that he would liaise with the appropriate agencies, to effect development and assist with the passage of good laws, and hold government accountable.