Ghana Bar Pushes For Community Service Bill To Address Congestion In Prisons

The Ghana Prisons has over the past years grappled with the issue of overcrowding at the prison cells which continues to be a major concern.

Against this backdrop, the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), has expressed worry over the growing congestion in the country's prisons and appealed for expeditious action on the passage of the 'Community Service' Bill to address the situation.

Describing the situation as abominable, Mr. Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Chairman of the GBA, said over-crowding in the prisons was among the worst form of human rights abuse meted out on convicts and remand prisons.

According to statistics from the Ghana Statistical Services (GSS), congestion in the country's prisons has increased by 45 per cent - 14,368 convicts instead of the designed capacity to accommodate 9,878 inmates.

Mr. Tuah-Yeboah said the nation ought to respect the human rights and dignity of prisoners, indicating that was important for convicts of minor offences to serve their sentences through community services, if the nation was not ready to expand her prison facilities.

He was speaking at the opening session of a regional public consultation on the Non-custodial sentencing policy; Zero draft 'community service bill' at Abesim in the Sunyani Municipality, attended by legal practitioners and personnel of security agencies, human rights institutions and the judiciary.

The Ministry of Interior in collaboration with the Judicial Service with support from the Perfector of Sentiments Foundation (POS), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) is drafting and working tirelessly for the passage of the Non-custodial Sentencing Policy; Zero draft 'Community Service Bill'.

Mr. Tuah-Yeboah commended the drafters of the Bill, hoping that legal practitioners and human rights actors and institutions would support and join the campaign against its passage in the supreme interest of the nation.

ASP Stephen Nti, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Operations Officer of the Ghana Prisons Service, said instead of the designed capacity of 450, the Sunyani Central prisons contained about 900 inmates, a situation which was leading to outbreak of communicable disease at the prisons.

He said the overcrowding had led to serious aggression, poor ventilation, high rate and spread of diseases.

ASP Nti said 36 per cent of cases were non-violent offences, noting that the passage of the Bill would have significant impact in reducing congestions in the prisons.

Justice Patrick Baayeh, the Supervising High Court Judge in Sunyani, lauded the content of the Bill and hoped that Parliament would not delay processes for its passage when it was brought before the House.

Mrs. Evelyn Ama Kumi-Richardson, the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive, called for increment in the feeding fee for convicts in the prisons.

She described the current GHC1.80 pesewas feeding fee as woefully inadequate and it could lead to mal-nourishment of inmates.

---GNA