Government must privatize prisons in Ghana - Crime Check Foundation advocates

Executive Director of Crime Check Foundation (CCF), Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, has called on government to consider privatizing prisons in the country.

According to him,the infraction of human rights and other challenges prevalent in the prisons system needs the urgent attention of government and other stakeholders in the criminal justice system.

" One issue that poses a challenge to the reformation and rehabilitation agenda of the system is how to deal with contraband and note that all 42 prisons in Ghana lack the requisite gadgets and as a result, pave way for miscreants to smuggle all manner of illegal substances into the prisons. Such a situation, we believe, defeats the reformation and rehabilitation agenda of the prisons and makes the prisons a breeding ground for miscreants, “he said.

Mr. Kwarteng added that the phenomenon only produces hardened ex-convicts who join criminal group to cause more harm in their societies.

Addressing the issue of congestion in prisons,the Executive Director said, the prison service decongestion exercise and governments granting of Amnesty to prisoners play a crucial role in pardoning first time offenders so they are not influenced by hardened criminals.

He added that,sick and aged persons who are no longer considered a threat to society must fall within the categories of prisoners recommended by the Prison Service for pardon.

“We are appealing to the President to use his prerogative of mercy to exercise a moral obligation that will lead to the decongestion of our prisons and save inmates due for pardon and relieve them of the pain they continue to harbor after years of waiting to be considered for pardon,” he said.

Mr. Kwarteng was speaking at a press conference in Accra on the developments within Ghana's prisons system.