The African Commission of Human and Peoples’ Rights delegation has praised Ghana’s prison education system, which allows prisoners to pursue vocational and academic training throughout their incarceration.
During a courtesy call on the Interior Minister, Hon. Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, at his office in Accra, the delegation, led by Hon. Commissioner Janet Ramatoulie Sallah-Njie, Commissioner in charge of promoting human rights in Ghana and Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa, made these statements to discuss important issues pertaining to the nation’s prison system, such as overcrowding, feeding difficulties, and alternative sentencing measures.
Learning about the nation’s initiatives to alleviate jail congestion and enhance the conditions for prisoners to eat was of special interest to the delegation.
In terms of feeding, the Minister updated them on notable advancements, adding that the government has raised the daily feeding allowance for inmates from GHS 1.80 to GHS 5 per the President’s directive.
He also mentioned the Feed Ghana project, which is a partnership between the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Ghana Prisons Service to support efforts to solve feeding issues.
Through the creation of a Community Sentencing Bill, Hon. Muntaka gave the delegation the assurance that the government is aggressively tackling the issue of overcrowding.
The purpose of the proposed law is to decrease the number of people incarcerated by implementing alternative sentencing options like community service.
The delegation expressed hope for the proposed improvements and praised the government’s efforts.
In addition to thanking the delegation for their visit, the Minister underlined the government’s dedication to enhancing prison conditions and advancing the welfare of prisoners.
The delegation was made up of Hon. Commissioner Maria Teresa Manuela, Special Rapporteur on Prisons, Conditions of Detention, and Policing in Africa, and Hon. Commissioner Hatem Essaiem, Chairperson of the Committee on the Prevention of Torture in Africa.
Source: newsthemegh.com