Kumawu MP Urges Parliament To Act On Crisis In Ghana’s Prisons
Chairman of Parliament’s Human Rights Committee, Ernest Yaw Anim, has made a passionate call for urgent reforms to address the deteriorating conditions in Ghana’s prisons. Speaking on the floor of Parliament, the Kumawu MP described the state of the country’s correctional facilities as “inhumane” and a violation of both national values and international human rights obligations. Citing findings from a recent inspection tour at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison, Mr Anim painted a grim picture of overcrowding, malnutrition, and systemic neglect.
With GH¢1.80 per day for food, many inmates face severe malnutrition,” he said. This is not sustainable.These are Ghanaians, our brothers and sisters. We must treat them with dignity, not neglect.” He revealed that the Nsawam facility, originally built to house 700 inmates, currently holds over 3,500, posing serious humanitarian and security risks. Mr Anim further noted that the majority of Ghana’s prison population consists of young people, petty offenders, and remand prisoners some of whom are mothers with babies.
The system is not rehabilitative, and the cycle of poverty and crime continues,” he warned. “We need a nationwide reform agenda now.” He proposed gender-sensitive policies and stronger collaboration among the Ghana Prisons Service, Parliament, and civil society. He also called for a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry into the prison system. “The time for reform is now. Let us not wait for a crisis to spur us into action,” he concluded.
