Interior Minister reveals: Gov’t receives £500,000 LOAN to decongest prisons

• Posted on October 9, 2014October 9, 2014
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The Interior Minister, Mark Wayongo has disclosed that government has received a £500, 000 loan to decongest prisons across the country.

Ghana has 43 prison facilities and according to reports, 28 are said to be overcrowded by as much as 358%.

The situation, according to prison officials makes it difficult for them to effectively manage the institutions.

However, in May this year, the Ghana Prisons Service began a nationwide decongestionexercise at the various prisons beginning from the Central region.

In August, the Interior Minister proposed theestablishment of non-custodian sentences, as part of measures to help decongest the country’s prisons.

The sector Minister on Wednesday paid a working visit to the Ankaful Prisons in the Central Region and according to Citi News’ Kwamena Bamfo Adjei, it was revealed that majority of the inmates have been on remand for over five years leading to the congestion of the facility.

Woyongo promised the inmates that the 500,000 pound loan will be put to good use to facilitate the decongestion exercise.

Part of the money will also be used to construct new facilities for remand prisoners.

This will prevent remand prisoners from being kept in the same facilities as convicted prisoners.

-By: Efua Idan Osam