Accra, June 5, GNA – Mr Jonathan Osei Owusu, Executive Director, POS Foundation has called on the President to activate article 72 of the constitution and grant amnesty to more inmates particularly those sentenced for minor offences, misdemeanors, petty offences.
He said in the times of COVID-19 if there were measures like amnesty for more people to go out, the numbers at the prisons would reduce drastically and the impact of any outbreak might come down.
He commended the government for granting some amnesty somewhere in March for 808 prisons, but that was so minute comparing the numbers in the prisons now, saying, “we need to also show mercy at this time while we are trying to protect them from any outbreak.”
Mr Osie Owusu made the call when POS Foundation together with its donor partners, Open Society Foundation and OSSIWA donated some Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE) and some other items to the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons, as part of their contribution towards curbing the spread of COVID-19 in the prisons.
The items included; hand sanitizers, liquid soap, tissue, veronica buckets, materials for production of face masks for prison officers and their families, hand gloves and some food items worth GH¢40,000.00 which is for the Nsawam, Akuse and Koforidua prisons and an amount of GH¢2000.00 as transportation for some of the goods to other prisons.
He said the donation was critical as, vulnerable and marginalised groups including; orphans, disabled and inmates were at high risk.
“We have gone to the aid of the orphan homes and today we are beginning our donations with our donors from the Nsawam medium prisons, to Kumasi, Sunyani, Tamale and beyond.”
He said as the President had eased the restrictions for some religious bodies and organisations, the prisons also needed decongestion to engage in their day to day activities freely from the COVID-19 virus.
“When we are talking about people whose immune system is low, then the prison is one place that lack it because they are not being fed well, as each prisoner is allocated GHC1.80 pesewas for three square meals a day.”
He also called on the Prisons Council and authorities to factor drug users who were convicted onto the amnesty criteria, saying these were people who were friends, family members who were not violent drug users, who were probably influenced by friends to do so.
“Such people need treatment and not to be sent to prison. Although we have the new Narcotics Control Commission Law, which is yet to be implemented, it would be prudent for the President to activate article 72 and grant all drug users amnesty to go back into the society and contribute their quota.”
Mr Osei Owusu gave the assurance that POS Foundation and its donor agencies would be willing to assist and support the authorities to give the people one month rehabilitation treatment and orientation process.
He said: “This is necessary because when you are restricted or confined, in an area, where you do not have a say, and there is congestion, it is important for us to help so that we don’t get the spread in, or imported into the prisons”.
He said the three ways by which the virus could be imported into the prisons included; going to court and coming back to which some restrictions were put in place for both Prison officers, and visitors.
“We are aware that the prison Authority have done well by putting in protocols and restrictions that contributed to us not recording any COVID-19 cases in the prisons and commend the Ghana Prison Service for the adherence to the protocols. An outbreak would be so drastic and I don’t think we can contain it looking at the current crowded situation in our prison.”
Deputy Superintendent of Prisons Adamu Abdul Latif, Public Relations Officer of the Nsawam Medium Security Prison, receiving the items on behalf of the Director of the Eastern Regional Command, expressed gratitude to POS Foundation for their support to the prisons and gave the assurance that the items would be channeled for the purpose for which they were donated.
“Indeed we are in need of these items because the prison is an institution, where people visit day in day out including; Officers, so these items are used on daily basis and we urged the public to continue to support since the COVID-19 is not yet over.”
On granting amnesty, he said the aged must also be considered since they had lots of them battling with several chronic diseases.
GNA