Amnesty International calls for better living condition for prisoners

Board chairman for Amnesty International Ghana, George Aggrey has bemoaned the harsh conditions under which prisoners in Ghana are cared for.

He revealed that till date, budget allocation by the government for prisoners in Ghana only allows for GH¢1.80 pesewas for each prisoner’s food daily.

According to him, the prison condition in Ghana fall far below international standards and by all standards, it is inhumane and undermines the dignity of people who find themselves there.

"It is rather unfortunate to note that currently a prisoner in Ghana is allocated 1.8p a day", he added.

"Little said about the overcrowding in our prison here in Ghana the better. As an organization we are committed to ensuring that all persons are treated equally with dignity and respect including prison inmates. We believe that all persons no matter who they are or where they are must be able to access basic amenities that promote their well being".

He made these statements at the 2019 Annual General Assembly Meeting of Amnesty International held in Keta in the Volta Region yesterday, 28th June 2019.

Commenting on the theme 'Improving prison conditions in Ghana – A necessary step towards the protection of rights of prison inmates', he said "this year's theme was birth out of our focus on advancing the welfare and human rights of persons in our prison which is part of our ideas or areas of work which includes abolition of death penalty, proper regulation of eviction and addressing individual human rights issues".

The AGAM is done yearly to share ideas and deliberate on specific issues the organisation focus on in the coming year all aimed at promoting human rights in Ghana.