Accra, July 15, GNA – POS Foundation has called for the urgent development and passage of a legislative instrument to operationalise the Community Service Bill, 2026.
The call was made in a statement issued and signed by Mr Jonathan Osei Owusu, Founder and Executive Director of POS Foundation, following the passage of the Bill by Parliament on July 10, 2026.
“While celebrating this important milestone, POS Foundation calls for the urgent development and passage of the necessary legislative instrument to operationalize the law and ensure effective implementation nationwide,” the statement said.
The Community Service Bill introduces community service as an alternative to custodial sentences for certain categories of offenders.
It outlines the framework for supervision, monitoring and enforcement of community service orders, and empowers the Ministry of Justice and the Judicial Service to collaborate with local authorities and civil society organisations in implementation.
The Foundation also called on the public to embrace restorative justice and avoid stigmatising persons sentenced to community service.
It said successful reintegration depended not only on sound legislation but “also on communities willing to offer second chances, encourage accountability, and foster positive behavioural change. “
“Together, we can build a criminal justice system that is fairer, more effective and more responsive to the needs of both victims and offenders, while contributing to safer and stronger and more inclusive communities across Ghana,” it said.
The Foundation lauded Government, Parliament and Ghanaians for the historic passage of the Bill, describing it as a landmark in the country’s criminal justice system.
“This alternative sentencing law, once implemented, will empower courts to exercise the discretion to impose a community service order as alternative to custodial sentence for eligible persons convicted of specified offences punishable by terms of imprisonment of less than three years,” It said.
The Foundation said that the law was expected to reduce prison overcrowding, promote rehabilitation and integration of offenders, prevent low‑risk offenders from becoming hardened criminals, reduce the financial burden of imprisonment on the state, and strengthen restorative justice by enabling offenders to make meaningful contributions to their communities.
POS Foundation, a non‑governmental organisation mandated to champion human rights, has played a critical role in advancing the Community Service Bill reform agenda from concept to legislation.
It also contributed to the review of the draft Bill with stakeholders including the Judiciary and the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA).
The Foundation has facilitated the Justice for All Programme, which has reduced the remand population from 33 per cent in 2007 to 12.8 per cent, according to records from the Ghana Prison Service.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Reporter: Joyce Danso
[email protected]