The Legal Resource Centre, a Non-Governmental Organization(NGO), has intensified calls on Ghana’s Parliament to speedily pass into law, the Community Services’ Bill to serve as an alternative to custodial sentences for convicted offenders in respect of certain offences.
At a Townhall Meeting held at GNAT Hall in Bolgatanga to intensity sensitization on Ghana’s case tracking system and Justice Support Activity, a Rule of Law Specialist at the Centre Enock Jengre explained that the Bill, which was drafted in 2018, when passed into law, will mandate a court to make a community service order in respect of an offender may sentence the offender to a fine or additionally, or alternatively to imprisonment as an alternative punishment to be paid or served if the said person fails to render the service specified in the order.
He said pressure have been exerted on the government to enact the Bill into law but those calls have proved futile.
Mr. Jengre explained that the bill is advantageous as it does not prevent young offenders from attaining education. He explained that offenders can serve the punishment whilst in school.
He also highlighted the need for Parliament to pass the bill as it allows offenders to be able to continue or seek employment and have a healthy relationship with their(offender) families especially if they are breadwinners of their families.
“It does not interfere or prevent a young offender from attaining education which is necessary as he/she serves whiles schooling. It allows an offender to continue (or seek) employment, and maintain ties with his or family if he/she is the breadwinner of the family,” he enumerated.
Mr. Jengre added that “it will help offenders pay back to their communities and also help offenders not to disassociate entirely from their family, friends and normal lifestyles which is required for their emotional and psychological well-being.”
He explained that the Community Services’ Bill is beneficial to the country as it is more reformative as compared to the current statutory confinement. Offences suitable for Community Service include drunk driving, concealing the body of a child at birth, either dead or alive, involvement in customary activities with the purpose of subjecting another to a form of ritual customary servitude, compulsion of marriage (forcing someone to marry against their will), stealing, minor drug offences such as first-time offenders, domestic violence as well as indecent exposure.
Offences that are however exempted from this Bill are: murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery, causing harm by the use of an offensive weapon, human trafficking, offences of high treason, genocide, unlawful use of human parts, kidnapping, abduction, defilement, piracy, child stealing, corruption, terrorism as well as money laundering.
There are a total of 13,200 persons in Ghana’s prisons; including pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners as at June 24, 2021. Out of this number, 1,526 representing 11.6 percent are pre-trial detainees/remand prisoners. 188 persons representing a percentage of 1.2 are females. Juveniles/ minors have a percentage of 0.9 while foreigners have a percentage of 7.2. The Ghana Prison Service (GPS) has 43 establishments/institutions (2020)and it has an official capacity of 9,945 as at 24th June 2021.
It is in the light of this situation in Ghana’s prisons that the USAID Justice Sector Support Activity is amplifying the calls on parliament to as a matter of urgency pass the Community Service Bill into Law in order to salvage it.
The meeting brought together participants from all segments of society; including traditional rulers, political party representatives, market women, farmers , among others.
Source/ www.a1radioonline.com/101.1mHz/Elijah Beyeni Yenibey/Ghana
