The situation of remand prisoners over-populating the various prisons in Ghana is common knowledge.
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How the NDC plans to reform remand processes in Ghana’s prisons
The Ghanaian legal and justice system has been a problem to many people over the years. There have been numerous times where people have been heavily jailed for misdemeanors and minor offences. There have also been various instances where people have been remanded in prison custody for years without any proper trial.
Prison inmate file photo
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Although remanded prisoners are usually detained separately from sentenced prisoners, due to prison overcrowding, they are sometimes held in a shared accommodation with sentenced prisoners.
From the year 2000, the number of remand prisoners shoots up every year in the country. Statistics show that over 50% of inmates n all prisons across the country are people on remand for various offences.
In order to press ahead with the much needed prison reforms in the country, there has to be a decongestion exercise especially for people on remand.
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John Mahama
Pulse Ghana
This, and some other prison reform policies, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has proposed in the 'People's Manifesto' launched last Monday ahead of the 2020 general elections.
THE NDC PROPOSALS ON PRISON REFORMS
On Page 131 of the manifesto, the NDC has stated several policy directions they will take in regards to Ghana Prisons Service.
Among the things proposed, the party said it will increase the feeding rate of inmates. It also said it will proper health care facilities in the prisons.
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The NDC also said it will create a well-equipped technical and vocational departments in all major prisons. Additionally, it commence a programme to establish open-camp prisons to undertake large scale agricultural activities.
However, significantly in these proposals is that of altering the prison remand system in Ghana in order to decongest it.
The opposition party is proposing to set up a Special Remand and Sentence Review Committee. The job of this committee will be, first of all, review the cases of most of the inmates currently on remand and free them if the need be.
The Committee will also, going forward, come up ways to free up space in the prisons by limiting remand sentences. This they will do by coming up with alternative punishments for minor offences and crimes.
According to the party, these measures will swiftly reform the Ghanaian prison space for better humane conditions for the inmates.
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