Justice for All Programme Slashes Ghana’s Remand Prison Population to 12.47% – Justice Asare-Botwe
Her Ladyship Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, a Justice of Appeal, has disclosed that Ghana’s remand prisoner population has declined sharply to 12.47 per cent, marking a significant milestone in the country’s criminal justice reforms under the Justice for All Programme (JFAP).
She made the revelation at the conclusion of an in-prison Justice for All Court Sitting held at the Kumasi Central Prisons on Friday, December 20, 2025.
Justice Asare-Botwe explained that when the Justice for All Programme was introduced in 2007, remand prisoners constituted about 33 per cent of the total inmate population. Since then, sustained institutional reforms, improved coordination among justice sector agencies, and strong civil society involvement have contributed to a steady and remarkable decline in the figure.
She commended past Chief Justices and the current Chief Justice, His Lordship Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, for their leadership, commitment, and continuity in sustaining the programme over the years. She also praised judges, judicial staff, and members of the National Steering Committee for their dedication to ensuring access to justice for inmates, particularly those held in prolonged pre-trial detention.
According to Justice Asare-Botwe, the Justice for All Programme was established to address extended remand periods, which contravene Article 14(4) of the 1992 Constitution. The constitutional provision requires that persons who are not tried within a reasonable time be released either unconditionally or on reasonable bail terms.
She recalled that prior to the programme’s introduction, Ghana’s prisons were plagued by severe overcrowding, with inmates subjected to dehumanising conditions. Cells designed to accommodate a limited number of inmates were often packed far beyond capacity, a situation that drew international condemnation, including criticism from the United Nations in 2014.
Justice Asare-Botwe noted that data from the Ghana Prisons Service at the time revealed overcrowding levels as high as 51 per cent, with many detainees spending longer periods on remand than the custodial sentences prescribed for the offences they were alleged to have committed.
She attributed the current progress to effective collaboration among key stakeholders in the criminal justice system, including the Judiciary, the Ghana Police Service, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Office of the Attorney-General, the Legal Aid Authority, and civil society organisations, particularly the POS Foundation, which facilitates the Justice for All Programme.
The Justice of Appeal further explained that judges across the country have been supported through capacity-building programmes to strictly apply bail principles under the Criminal Procedure Act and relevant Supreme Court decisions, while ensuring the speedy trial of remand prisoners.
Presenting the outcomes of the Kumasi Central Prisons sitting, Justice Asare-Botwe disclosed that 41 pre-trial cases were reviewed during the exercise. Out of the number, 15 inmates were granted bail, four were discharged, one inmate was referred for psychiatric treatment, three cases were dismissed, nine inmates were convicted and imprisoned, while 12 bail applications were refused.
She called on the media and civil society organisations to reflect current and accurate data when reporting on Ghana’s criminal justice system, cautioning against the continued use of outdated statistics that do not represent the present realities.
Justice Asare-Botwe also appealed to private legal practitioners to render pro bono legal services to vulnerable inmates, stressing that access to justice should not be determined by an individual’s ability to afford legal representation.
She further announced that the Judiciary is taking steps to operationalise plea bargaining under Section 162(A) of Act 1079, a reform she believes will further reduce prison congestion and promote the speedy resolution of criminal cases.
In her concluding remarks, Justice Asare-Botwe urged investigators to expedite criminal investigations to prevent unnecessary delays in the administration of justice and expressed gratitude to the Chief Justice for the opportunity to serve inmates, many of whom were reunited with their families following the in-prison court sitting.
