The Koforidua Prisons Service has made a passionate appeal for urgent support to repair the leaking roof of its facility, following a humanitarian intervention by Equity Edge Legal that led to the release of three young inmates serving jail terms for minor offences.
The appeal was made by the Public Relations Officer of the Koforidua Prisons, Ezekiel Korletey, who commended Equity Edge Legal for paying court fines to secure the freedom of the inmates but noted that the prison continues to face serious infrastructural challenges, particularly a deteriorating roof that leaks heavily whenever it rains.
According to him, the poor roofing situation poses risks to the health, safety, and dignity of inmates, especially during the rainy season, as water floods parts of the facility and disrupts daily activities.
“We are grateful to Equity Edge Legal for this timely intervention, but beyond inmate welfare, the prison infrastructure itself needs urgent attention. The roof leaks profusely when it rains, and this affects both inmates and officers,” he appealed.
Equity Edge Legal, a legal advocacy group made up of law students from the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), in collaboration with the DOYA Foundation, paid fines to free three young inmates who had been jailed for petty offences. Two of the inmates were convicted for stealing cocoa beans, while the third was imprisoned for breaking into a dormitory with friends to steal seven students’ trunks. Each had been serving an 18-month jail term which began late last year.
The intervention was also used as a platform to renew calls for the reintroduction and passage of the Community Service Bill, which seeks to amend the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960, to allow community service as an alternative punishment for misdemeanours.
Speaking at the event, John Baptist Ayedze Esq., a law lecturer at UPSA and lead for Equity Edge Legal, stressed that overcrowded prisons and harsh conditions often worsen the behaviour of minor offenders.
While welcoming advocacy for legal reforms, the Koforidua Prisons PRO urged corporate bodies, civil society organisations, philanthropists, and individuals to also extend support toward fixing the leaking roof and improving living conditions within the facility.
He emphasized that addressing such basic infrastructure needs would significantly improve inmate welfare while broader reforms, such as alternative sentencing, are pursued.
The appeal highlights the growing concern over prison conditions in Ghana and the need for collective support to ensure humane treatment of inmates, particularly those convicted of minor offences.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
