Director of Prisons in charge of Operations at the Ghana Prisons Service, Isaac Kofi Egyir, has said the coronavirus pandemic is a wake call for non-custodial sentencing regime in Ghana.

Speaking after disinfection exercise at the Prisons Headquarters in Accra and James Camp Prison against the virus, he said it was important to include decongestion of Ghana’s prisons in long-term plans to fight the pandemic.

“We at the Ghana Prisons Service have been strong advocates the quick passage of law that will regulate non-custodial sentences and I think this is the right time we all put our hands together to get it passed as quickly as possible to save the situation,” Mr Egyir told journalists on Thursday.

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) is among numerous institutions advocating for alternative sentencing, especially for persons who commit petty offences, to clear congestion many of Ghana's prisons.

The disinfection exercise at the Prisons Headquarters and the James Camp Prison was undertaken by waste management giant, Zoomlion Ghana Ltd, as part of its corporate contribution to the fight against spread of the virus.

Earlier on Thursday, Zoomlion also disinfected the Soul Clinic International School, offering the private school a half-price deal for the disinfection of the entire school.

CSR Project Coordinator for Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Lola Asise Ashitey, said the company remains committed to supporting government’s bold fight to end the spread of the virus.

As of Wednesday, April 22, 2020, Ghana has recorded 1,154 cases of the virus with nine deaths and 99 recoveries.