Friday, 29 March

Deputy Prisons PRO advocates non-custodial sentences to ease congestion

General News
Samuel Kofi Opoku

A Deputy Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Prisons Service, Assistant Superintendent of Prisons (ASP) Samuel Kofi Opoku is advocating non-custodial sentences in the country to ease congestion in the prisons.

According to Mr Opoku, the country’s prisons are currently overwhelmed with huge numbers of inmates.

In his view, non-custodial sentences will help reduce the congestion in prisons.

He added that the 44 prison facilities in the country currently have over 12,900 inmates, a number which is way over the initial 9,945 capacity prisons.

Speaking on a Koforidua-based radio station on Monday, Mr Opoku said: "Our laws should be looked at to allow for non-custodial sentences; this, I believe, will contribute greatly in easing congestion in our prisons".

He said corporate bodies, religious-based organisations and the general public should continue to complement the efforts of the government by supporting the Prisons Service in effectively undertaking safe custody, reformation and reintegration of inmates to ensure public safety.

Source: classfmonline.com