Omanghana
Dr. Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, spokesperson for New Patriotic Party Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi’s, has outlined proposals for a comprehensive overhaul of Ghana’s prison system.
In a statement issued on October 27, 2026, he said the recommendations reflected Wontumi’s observations following his remand on July 20, 2026. The proposals call for greater emphasis on rehabilitation, healthcare, family welfare and productive activities within correctional facilities.
A central recommendation is the construction of a dedicated prison hospital to serve inmates nationwide. As an interim measure, the statement proposed a formal arrangement with the 37 Military Hospital to facilitate emergency treatment.
It also called for dedicated funding to equip prisons with ambulances, standby generators and modern agricultural machinery to support their operations and expand opportunities for inmates to acquire practical skills.
The proposals include regulated conjugal visits and designated spaces where inmates can meet privately with their spouses and maintain contact with their children.
According to the statement, preserving family relationships could support rehabilitation and help reduce tensions within prisons. It argued that imprisonment should not unnecessarily weaken the bonds between inmates and their families.
On legislation, Dr. Boakye-Danquah called for bipartisan support for a comprehensive Prison Reform Act to address longstanding weaknesses in the correctional system.
The statement also advocated clearer inmate classification and accommodation arrangements, taking account of security risks, the nature of offences and whether individuals are awaiting trial or serving sentences.
Healthcare recommendations included appropriate separation and treatment arrangements for inmates with infectious diseases. The statement raised concerns about prisoners with active tuberculosis sharing sleeping spaces with other inmates.
It further proposed stronger counselling services and clear policies addressing the safety and welfare of vulnerable inmates, including LGBTQI+ prisoners.
Dr. Boakye-Danquah appealed to the Speaker of Parliament to treat prison conditions as a human rights and national development priority.
He urged Parliament’s committees responsible for Defense and Interior, Health, and Food and Agriculture to visit correctional facilities and assess their needs firsthand.
The statement called for coordinated legislative action and sustained funding, arguing that comprehensive reforms could strengthen rehabilitation in Ghana and provide lessons for correctional systems elsewhere in Africa.
Source: Omanghana
