Amnesty International Ghana warmly commends the President of the Republic of Ghana for granting presidential amnesty to 998 prisoners out of 1,014 recommended by the Prisons Service Council and in consultation with the Council of State.
Among the prisoners granted amnesty were first time offenders, persons seriously ill and others. This significant act of mercy demonstrates the government’s commitment to upholding human dignity, advancing justice, and ensuring that rehabilitation and reintegration remain central to Ghana’s criminal justice system. Commuting 87 death sentences to life imprisonment shows the government’s commitment to the total abolition of the death penalty in Ghana.
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This decision will not only reduce congestion in Ghana’s prisons but also provide individuals with a renewed opportunity to rebuild their lives, reunite with their families, and contribute positively to society.
We encourage the government to complement this initiative with sustained investment in non-custodial sentencing, rehabilitation, and reintegration programmes that ensure effective support for beneficiaries of the amnesty. Such measures will safeguard public confidence while advancing Ghana’s human rights obligations. We also call on government to urgently review and increase the daily feeding allocation for prisoners, as the current amount is grossly inadequate to meet even the most basic nutritional needs. Adequate feeding is a fundamental human right and a critical part of ensuring dignity in Ghana’s prison facilities.
We further call on all stakeholders — including communities, civil society, faith-based organisations, and the private sector — to support the reintegration process and to welcome those released with dignity and compassion. Once again, we commend the President and the Government of Ghana for this progressive step, which reflects our shared values of justice, mercy, and human rights.
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