Prisons Service rejects amnesty report on Ghana's prisons

The Ghana Prisons Services has downplayed Amnesty International's latest report alleging inhuman condition and ill-treatment in the country's prisons.

The Service says assertions that overcrowding is worsening in cells and prisons do not give a true account of the state of Ghana's prisons.

Amnesty International Ghana in its latest report on the state and condition of prisoners criticized government for doing little to improve the welfare of convicted criminals.

But reacting to the findings on Joy News Television's current affairs programme, pm: EXPRESS, the Chief Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Prisons Service, ASP Courage Atsem said the completion of the Ankaful Prisons in the Central Region absorbed lots of numbers from existing prison facilities.

“Conditions in Ghana's prisons are not the best but some improvement has been made”, ASP Atsem said.

He said the Service has implemented a number of interventions to ensure the 13,000 prisoners in Ghana to live in a reformed condition and not a punitive environment.

He denied prisoners are subjected to torture of any form.

A Research Officer with Amnesty International, James Welsh, insisted much ought to be done to ensure life in Ghana's prisons becomes comparable to internationally accepted norms.

“It's almost like watching a football crowd when prisoners are standing in the yard. When you look at the practice, there are problems, problems with sanitation, cells without toilets and in very poor conditions. What happens if the toilet blocks up?” he questioned.