A total of 12 remand prisoners at the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons (NMSP) in the Eastern Region heaved a sigh of relief on Wednesday after they were discharged under the Justice for All Programme (JFAP).
Their cases, ranging from murder to theft and other offenses, were among 24 presented during a special court proceeding held at the prisons where 10 others were granted bail and two were denied.
It was an emotional scene in the courts as inmates who had languished in custody for periods between five and 12 years shed tears of joy upon hearing the verdicts handed down by presiding judges.
The JFAP, is a state-led initiative, which utilises Mobile In-Prison Special Courts to expedite remand and pre-trial cases nationwide and overseen by a National Steering Committee.
The committee comprises the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Prisons Service, Legal Aid Commission, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Judicial Service, and Perfector of Sentiments (POS) Foundation.
The POS Foundation, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to human rights and youth development, facilitates the JFAP by following up on the cases, interviewing the inmates and getting defence lawyers for them.
Addressing journalists after the proceedings, a justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Mrs Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, highlighted Article 14.4 of the 1992 Constitution, emphasising the right to trial within a reasonable time or release under specific conditions.
She traced the origin of the JFAP to 2007, attributing its establishment to the alarming prison overcrowding that year, which prompted collaboration among justice institutions to bring justice closer to remand prisoners.
Justice Asare-Botwe disclosed that records from the Ghana Prison Service (GPS) indicated a prison population of 14,647 by May 2024, surpassing the authorised capacity of 10,265.
She noted a significant reduction in overcrowding, from 51 per cent in December 2018 to 42.69 per cent in May 2024, with pretrial detainees now constituting only 10.86 per cent of the total population.
Emphasising the need for swift trials and fair adjudication, she said both victims and offenders deserved timely justice to reduce the remand population and ensure rights were upheld.
She urged stakeholders in the criminal justice system to expedite trials, cautioning against delayed proceedings that could compromise fairness.
Executive Director of POS, Mr Jonathan Osei Owusu, underscored the programme’s role in addressing prison overcrowding and saving government costs.
He advocated the passage of the Community Service Bill to introduce non-custodial sentences, further alleviating prison congestion.
Assistant Director of Prisons (ADP) Nii Armah Aryeetey, expressed relief over the outcome, foreseeing reduced challenges at NMSP.
He reassured the public of collaborative efforts between the Prison Service, police, and courts to address issues like expired warrants and enhance justice delivery.
FROM ANITA NYARKO-YIRENKYI, NSAWAM
