Twelve remand prisoners at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison reclaimed their liberty on Wednesday, July 24.
This was after they were discharged by an ad hoc court in the penitentiary as part of the Justice for All programme.
Additionally, one inmate was acquitted and discharged, while ten others were granted bail. Two inmates were denied bail. Most of the prisoners, who had been detained for various offenses including murder and unnatural carnal knowledge, had been languishing in the Nsawam prison for years without trial.
Addressing journalists after the hearing, Court of Appeal judge with additional responsibility as a high court judge, Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, lauded the Justice for All program and urged investigators to work diligently to prevent pre-trial inmates from being unjustly left to languish in prison.
In efforts to improve prison conditions, stakeholders in the justice delivery system are aggressively pushing for the Community Service Bill to be passed into law.
Addressing reporters at the entrance of the Nsawam Medium Security Prison, Executive Director of Perfector of Sentiment, Jonathan Osei Owusu, said the bill, if passed into law, will significantly improve prison conditions and save the state avoidable expenditure in Ghana’s prisons.
