Accra: Alhaji Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, Executive Director of the Crime Check Foundation, has called on the government to establish jails across the country to ensure the proper treatment and separation of remand and convicted inmates. He emphasized that the absence of designated jails has led to individuals who have not been convicted sharing facilities with those found guilty, an infringement on the rights of accused persons.
According to Ghana News Agency, Alhaji Kwarteng, who is also a PhD Candidate at the Centre for Migration Studies at the University of Ghana, made the appeal following his visit to the Prince William-Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center in the United States. The visit aimed to strengthen international collaboration on prison reform and the protection of inmate rights. As Ghana’s Ambassador Extraordinaire for Prisons, he engaged with prison authorities, observed inmate rehabilitation programs, and explored best practices in correctional facility management.
Jails are intended to detain individuals awaiting trial or serving short-term sentences, typically less than a year, and are distinct from prisons, which hold individuals convicted of more serious crimes for longer periods. In an interview, Alhaji Kwarteng explained that establishing jails, particularly near court premises, would reduce the logistical burden on the Ghana Police Service by eliminating the need for long-distance travel to convey accused persons for court hearings.
He highlighted that the lack of jails has resulted in many individuals remaining on remand for extended periods without trial. Alhaji Kwarteng recounted a discussion with former President John Dramani Mahama, who indicated that construction of a remand block had begun at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison but remained incomplete when he left office. While acknowledging these efforts, Alhaji Kwarteng stressed the importance of building jails separate from prison facilities to prevent housing unconvicted individuals alongside convicts.
Alhaji Kwarteng argued that such practices are unconstitutional, citing Article 15(3) of the 1992 Constitution, which states that a person not convicted of a criminal offense should not be treated as such and must be kept separately from convicted persons. The Foundation intends to seek redress at the Supreme Court to enforce this constitutional provision, advocating that accused persons not be held in inappropriate locations.
He also criticized the media for frequently using the terms ‘jail’ and ‘prison’ interchangeably, urging journalists to accurately reflect legal and institutional distinctions in their reporting.