9 babies in prison - CHRAJ threatens action

Nine babies, between the ages of one and 10 months, are in various prisons across the country, according to The Ghanaian Times. They were born in prison by their mothers who were tried while pregnant.

This was disclosed to the Times on Monday by Mr Richard Kuuire, Director-General of Prisons, in an interview on the number of children in prisons.

Four of such babies are at the Nsawam Female Prisons; two of them are a month old, one is six months old and the other 10 months. The Kumasi and Akuse Female Prisons have a baby each and both are a month old. The Sekondi Female Prison has two babies of two and three months respectively, while Ho Female Prison, has a seven months old baby.

According to Mr Kuuire, the Prisons did not have any budgetary allocations for special care for the babies and nursing mothers.

"Our midwives (Prison officers) look after the pregnant women and send them to hospital to deliver after which the baby and mother are brought back to prison, he said.

When contacted Mrs Bridget Katsriku, Chief Director of the Ministry of Manpower Development and Employment, said that the Ministry had no knowledge of such babies in prison.

However, Mrs Angelina Dormakyaareh, a Deputy Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), said that the commission would investigate the matter. She said that the appropriate legal procedures would be initiated to ensure that the rights of the babies were respected.