1,000 inmates to benefit from Mahama’s Republic Day amnesty

Nii Ayitey Brown 08:00 - 26 April 2026

President John Mahama has announced amnesty for 1,000 inmates ahead of Republic Day, aiming to reduce prison congestion and offer a second chance to selected prisoners across Ghana.

John Dramani Mahama has announced amnesty for 1,000 prison inmates as part of Ghana’s Republic Day celebrations on July 4.
The clemency exercise, under Article 72 of the Constitution, will target selected categories including first-time offenders, the aged, and inmates who have served significant portions of their sentences.
The move is aimed at decongesting prisons and offering rehabilitation opportunities, as Ghana continues to tackle overcrowding in correctional facilities.

President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to grant amnesty to about 1,000 prison inmates across Ghana as part of activities marking the country’s upcoming Republic Day celebration on July 1, 2026.

He said this during a visit to the Nsawam Medium Security Prison.

"We will give amnesty. Last year, we gave 998 inmates amnesty to go home. This year, we will give 1,000 inmates amnesty. This coming July, on Republic Day, we will give that amnesty," he stated.

This decision forms part of the President’s use of the constitutional prerogative of mercy, aimed at offering selected inmates a second chance while easing pressure on the country’s overcrowded prison system.

“We are going to grant amnesty to 1000 inmates”

—President John Dramani Mahama has announced to the inmates of the Nsawam Medium Security Prison that the government will grant amnesty to 1,000 prisoners on July 1, which will be Republic Day.

[🎥: 1957news] pic.twitter.com/EovtYehKsE
— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) April 25, 2026

The planned exercise is expected to benefit carefully selected categories of inmates, including first-time offenders, the aged, the seriously ill, and those who have served a substantial portion of their sentences.

The process is typically carried out in consultation with the Prisons Service Council and the Council of State, in line with Article 72 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.

This follows a similar exercise in August 2025, when President Mahama granted amnesty to 998 prisoners nationwide.

That decision was also based on recommendations from the Prisons Service Council and aimed at decongesting correctional facilities.

At the time, authorities disclosed that over 1,000 inmates had initially been considered, but the final number was reduced after further assessment.

Further details indicated that the amnesty covered multiple categories, including first-time offenders and inmates on medical grounds, while some death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment.

Ghana’s prisons have long faced congestion challenges. As of 2025, the inmate population stood at over 14,000, putting significant strain on facilities originally built for far fewer people.

Periodic presidential amnesties remain one of the key tools used to manage overcrowding, alongside ongoing reforms within the Ghana Prisons Service to improve infrastructure and rehabilitation programmes.

Republic Day, observed annually on July 1, marks Ghana’s transition to a republic in 1960 and is often used as a moment for national reflection and policy announcements.

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