The newly inaugurated Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights has conducted a working visit to the Nsawam Medium Security Prison to assess conditions and Ghana’s compliance with international human rights treaties, particularly those relating to prison standards.
The joint delegation, which included members of the Human Rights and Defence and Interior Committees—interacted with prison officials, officers, and inmates to gather firsthand insights into the facility’s challenges.
One of the most pressing concerns raised was the alarming level of overcrowding. Originally built to house 717 inmates, the Nsawam Prison now holds over 3,005 inmates—more than four times its intended capacity. The committee also flagged severe infrastructural and health issues, including a GHS 506,000 backlog in unpaid medical bills and an incomplete remand block that continues to exacerbate congestion.
Committee Chairperson Hon. Ernest Yaw Anim expressed serious concern after the visit, stating that the right to health and the right to life are fundamental. He noted that the prison owes hospitals hundreds of thousands of cedis, and these medical bills must be settled immediately.
Hon. Anim also highlighted the inadequate feeding grant of GHS 1.80 per inmate per day. He contrasted this with the school feeding programme, which allocates GHS 2.00 per pupil per meal. He remarked that prisoners are expected to survive on less than what is spent to feed children, except they get three meals a day on that same GHS 1.80. He described this situation as inhumane and unsustainable.
Chairman of the Defence and Interior Committee, Hon. James Agalga called for the urgent completion of an extended block that has been under construction since 2013 to help decongest the prison. He also stressed the need to improve officer welfare, including the provision of new vehicles and buses to facilitate the transport of inmates to and from court.
Human rights lawyer and MP for Madina, Hon. Francis-Xavier Sosu indicated his intent to appeal to President John Dramani Mahama to exercise his prerogative of mercy and consider granting amnesty to some inmates on death row. He noted that Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution guarantees equality before the law, and said he would appeal for the President to commute not just from death to life imprisonment but to definite terms like 25 years for those who have already served extensive time.
The Member of Parliament for Kumawu also praised the Speaker of Parliament for supporting the establishment of the Human Rights Committee, noting that Ghana and Nigeria are the only African countries with such a legislative structure.
Beyond the Nsawam visit, the committee plans to increase public education on human rights through outreach to tertiary institutions and broader awareness campaigns. A visit to the witch camps in northern Ghana is also scheduled, as part of the “I Am Not a Witch” initiative led by Hon. Sosu. a project that has garnered continental recognition.
The committee reaffirmed its commitment to pressuring Parliament and the government to take swift and effective action to address the critical challenges facing the prison system.
Story by Osman Issah Abadoo
