Non-custodial sentencing bill to reach Parliament soon

A bill that will ensure that the punishment given by a court for petty offences against the law does not involve a prison term will soon be laid before Parliament.

Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia disclosed this on Friday, August 28, 2020, when he represented President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the Guest of Honour at the graduation and commissioning parade of 150 officer cadets of the Ghana Prisons Service.

When the Non-Custodial Sentencing or Alternative Sentence bill becomes law, it would provide alternative punishment such as probation, parole, and community service for minor offences.

“The Prisons Administration, in collaboration with other stakeholders, is leading the advocacy for alternative sentencing policy to be introduced in the country.

“The necessary operational adjustments are being made, including the human resource capacity to shoulder the additional responsibility,” Dr Bawumia added.

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) is among key stakeholders advocating for alternative sentencing for persons who commit minor or petty offences.

The graduation ceremony was the climax of the last of four batches of 1,500 new entrants for the Service drawn from varied professional backgrounds ranging from Accounting, Agriculture, Education, Engineering, Medicine, and Social Sciences.

The Vice President reiterated the government's commitment to ensuring security services are adequately resourced.

He said Cabinet has approved the placement of all the security agencies, (including Prisons) under a single pension scheme, CAP 30 as was the case with the army.