Ghana News Agency (Accra) – President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has granted amnesty to 794 prisoners in an effort to decongest the country’s prisons amid the outbreak of COVID-19.
“The President of the Republic, His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo, in consultation with the Council of State in commemoration of Workers Day, 1 May 2020, and in bid to mitigate the dangers posed by congestion in the prisons, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, has in accordance with Article 72(1) of the 1992 Constitution granted amnesty to 794 deserving prisoners,” a statement signed by Patrick Darko Missah, director general of Prisons said.
The statement said that 772 were first-time offenders, while 16 were old prisoners (70 years and above) and four were seriously ill.
The statement said: “The first offenders, totalling 772 who have served at least half of their sentences, 16 very old prisoners and four seriously ill, are to be released outright. However, two prisoners on death row will have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment.”
This is the second time that President Akufo-Addo has granted an amnesty this year.
On 26 March this year, President Akufo-Addo, in consultation with the Council of State and Ghana Prison Service Council and in accordance with the exercise of executive powers outlined in Article 72(1) of the 1992 constitution, granted amnesty to 808 prisoners.
Currently, the total inmate population in the country is 15,203 and the authorised prison population is 9,945. The rate of overcrowding is pegged at 52.87%.
Out of the total inmate population in Ghana, the number of convicted prisoners is 13,355. There are 1,848 unconvicted prisoners.
The number of male inmates is 15,015 and that of female inmates 188.
