Fifteen inmates at the Koforidua Prisons have been granted bail following a special in-prison court session held on Wednesday, March 4, under the Justice For All Programme.
The sitting reviewed 31 cases in total. Four prisoners were convicted after their cases were concluded, while two inmates were referred for psychiatric evaluation.
Two bail applications were refused. Five cases were struck out, and three were withdrawn.
The Justice For All Programme, introduced in 2007, was designed to reduce congestion in Ghana’s prisons, particularly among remand inmates who often spend years behind bars without trial.
At the time of its launch, the country’s prison population stood at 13,800, including 4,218 remand inmates, representing 30.57%.
Current data from the Judiciary, based on figures from the Ghana Prisons Service, show a total inmate population of 13,620. Of that number, 1,745 are remand prisoners, representing 12.8%, while 11,875 are convicts, making up 87.19%.
Supervising the proceedings was Court of Appeal judge Akua Serwaa Asare Botchway, who described the programme as a reflection of Ghana’s dedication to upholding the rule of law and protecting the rights of inmates.
“If we improve our system, there will be no need for the Justice For All Programme. The programme is only required when there is a systemic failure,” she said.
