61 inmates benefit from Justice for All Programme

Sixteen remand prisoners have been set free while 45 others who were also on remand at the Kumasi Central Prison have been granted bail as part of the Justice for All Programme, an initiative meant to decongest the country's prisons.

Some of the beneficiaries had spent about 10 years on remand with trial yet to be commenced at the law courts.

Four were convicted and imprisoned; 45 were granted bail; 32 applications for bail were refused; 16 applications were struck out and 20 were absent.

In all, 133 remand prisoners appeared before three special High Courts presided over by Justice Clemerce J. Honyenuga, a Justice of the court of Appeal; Justice Angelina Mensah-Homiah and Justice Constance Hometowu, two Justices of the High Court at the Kumasi Central Prisons.

The special courts used two days in the hearing of the 133 remand prisoners’ case.

The Chairman of the Justice For All Programme taskforce, Justice Clemerce J. Honyenuga, described this year's sitting at the Kumasi Central Prison a "success".

"Last year, there was nearly a riot here in this prison when we came. Why? Because some of the inmates protested that because of an alleged riot in this prison, their warrants were destroyed in the process, and therefore, they were qualified to have been discharged or granted bail, but they couldn’t have it," he said.

He recalled that, " It was not an easy task, but fortunately, this year, they were able to get the correct certificate about them, and I remember that some of them have been discharged and others were granted bail, and we are extremely very happy about this, so that there will be peace in this prison, and it is peace that we stand for".

He said the 10 year old Justice for All Programme has helped and benefited a lot of the remand prisoners who were poor and "had it not been for this programme, I think, a lot more of this remand prisoners would have remained here, because most of them are poor. They have nobody to take up their case for them, but fortunately under the programme, Lawyer pro-bono or for free come to attend to them before us in the various courts that we sat".

He noted that the remand population has reduced from the year the programme started from 30percent to about 13percent nationwide.

He said there were efforts to get non-custodial sentence in place to reduce the remand population.

He indicated that disciplinary measures may be implemented soon against Judges who continuously remand people unjustly, as the Chief Justice is taking it seriously.

"It is the wish of the honourable Chief Justice that all Judges and Magistrates who have been handling these matters in connection with remand prisoners should endeavour to do so according to law and not remand prisoners unnecessary,” Justice Honyenuga, added.