A Human Rights Civil Society Organization, POS Foundation, is advocating for the review of Article 72 by including convicted non-violent drug users serving below 10 years in the amnesty criteria.

The Foundation is willing to support pardoned prisoners who may need to go through rehabilitation to enable them reintegrate into society.

The Executive Director of POS Foundation, Jonathan Osei Owusu, believes there is a need to decongest the prisons to lessen the effects of an outbreak, hence advocating for the review

He was speaking to the media on the sideline of a donation exercise at the Ho Central Prison.

“Having commended the Ghana Prisons Service for its preemptive approach in combating the virus, the POS Foundation is further calling on the President to grant pardon under Article 72 by reviewing the amnesty criteria and proposing the inclusion of among others, convicted non-violent drug users (not trade/traffickers) who are serving below 10 years per the old PNDC Law 236 and petty offenders to assist in decongesting the Prisons during these trying times.”

He also called on stakeholders to pass the Community Service Bill and activate the Constitutional Instrument for probation and parole.

“The POS Foundation and its partners, together with its donor agencies are willing to support the State for non-violent convicted drug users who may need treatment to go through a period of rehabilitation and treatment within the pardon process period which is also in accordance with the new Narcotics Control Commission Law 2020 and international best practices as they pose no major threat to society but themselves”, he explained.

Mr. Osei Owusu further indicated that “the Foundation which is also the lead advocate in the passage of the Community Service Bill is equally calling on government (Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice and the Prisons Council) to speed up the passage of the Community Service Bill currently at the Ministry of Interior and activate a Legislative and Constitutional Instrument for Probation and Parole respectively.”

The Foundation presented some assorted items and COVID-19 safety materials to the Ho and Akuse Prisons to fortify the facilities against COVID-19.

Prisons in Ghana have been lauded for not recording a single case of Coronavirus since the emergence of the disease in 2019, irrespective of the overcrowded nature.

This according to authorities was achieved due to strict adherence to the safety protocols coupled with other in-house policies to safeguard prisons in the country.