The POS Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, has described Parliament’s passage of the Community Service Bill, 2026, as a landmark step towards transforming Ghana’s criminal justice system.
In a statement copied to The Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday, the founder and Executive Director of the foundation, Mr Jonathan Owusu, said the new law underscored Ghana’s commitment to a more humane, effective and restorative justice system.
He explained that the legislation sought to prioritise rehabilitation, promote the reintegration of offenders and enhance public safety.
Mr Owusu said the law, when implemented, would give courts the discretion to impose community service orders as an alternative to custodial sentences for persons convicted of specified offences punishable by less than three years’ imprisonment.
He noted that the measure was expected to reduce prison overcrowding, prevent low-risk offenders from becoming hardened criminals and lessen the financial burden of incarceration on the state.
In addition, he said the law would strengthen restorative justice by allowing offenders to make meaningful contributions to their communities.
The statement indicated that the reform process, which began about two decades ago, had seen the POS Foundation play a leading role in advancing the community service agenda from concept to legislation.
It said following a high-level engagement with the then Chief Justice, Justice Sophia Akuffo, the foundation was tasked with coordinating the development of the initial draft legislation.
With support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), the foundation engaged a legal consultant, Madam Sandra Ewurama Thompson, to prepare the first draft of the Non-Custodial Sentencing Bill.
While welcoming the passage of the law, the foundation called for the urgent development and passage of the necessary legislative instrument to operationalise it and ensure effective nationwide implementation.
It also urged the public to embrace the principles of restorative justice by supporting, rather than stigmatising, persons sentenced to community service.
According to the statement, successful reintegration depended not only on sound legislation but also on communities willing to offer second chances, encourage accountability and promote positive behavioural change.
The foundation expressed appreciation to President John Dramani Mahama and the government for their commitment to justice sector reforms and urged the President to assent to the Bill without delay.
It also extended gratitude to key stakeholders, including the Ministry of the Interior, Parliament, particularly the Defence and Interior Committee, the Judiciary, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), Crime Check Foundation, the Legal Resources Centre, and development partners such as OSIWA, Open Society Foundations and DANIDA.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
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