Conditions at Ghana’s prisons still poor – Prisons Service

The Ghana Prisons Service has revealed that conditions at the country’s prisons have seen little improvement despite countless appeals.

Majority of Ghana’s prisons are overcrowded, making life unbearable for inmates there.

A report released by the Human Rights Council of the United Nations(UN) in 2014 indicated that the human right conduct  in Ghana’s prisons does not meet international standards.

The report indicated that the extreme level of overcrowding sometimes extends to those on remand, the convicted and the condemned, and results in a number of serious violations, including inadequate nutrition, insufficient access to medical care, poor sanitation, personal insecurity and the absence of rehabilitation services.

The Tamale Prisons Central, for instance, reportedly has only three long ancient buildings with cracked walls and leaking roofs.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, the Public Relations Officer of the Prisons Service, Vitalis I-Ayeh explained that Ghanaians have disregarded the service largely because they believe prisoners are only hardened criminals who deserve severe punishment.

“Our plight has been known, we keep telling what has been happening to prisoners. It’s just that I want to believe it’s the mindset of the Ghanaian where we think that anybody in prison is a criminal and should not be given attention.”

I-Ayeh said the various prisons are unable to separate those on remand from convicted prisoners because the facilities are not enough to support such interventions.

“We are talking about something Nsawam that should take 818 inmates now taking 3,500 or 3,900  inmates and so if you are given this room that is meant for 19 people and you are going to put 53 people there how are you going to separate them. We have categories of prisons but then no space ,” he explained.

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By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana