Mahama grants amnesty to 998 prisoners

President John Dramani Mahama has granted presidential amnesty to 998 prisoners across the country following the recommendations of the Prisons Service Council and in consultation with the Council of State.

The decision, announced in a statement signed by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Spokesperson to the President and Minister for Government Communications, was made in line with Article 72(1) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. Out of a total of 1,014 prisoners recommended, 998 were approved for release or commutation of sentences.

According to the statement, the amnesty covered a wide range of categories, with the largest group being first-time offenders, numbering 787. Additionally, 87 inmates on death row had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment, while 51 life sentences were reduced to definite terms of 20 years.

The list also included 33 prisoners classified as seriously ill and 36 inmates who are over 70 years old, irrespective of the offences committed. Furthermore, two nursing mothers and two petitioners were granted amnesty.

Government says the measure forms part of efforts to decongest the country’s prisons and provide humane treatment for certain categories of inmates, especially vulnerable groups such as the elderly and the seriously ill.

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The presidential amnesty, which comes at a time of heightened calls for reforms within Ghana’s prison system, is expected to ease pressure on correctional facilities that continue to grapple with overcrowding and inadequate resources.

This latest act of clemency points out the constitutional prerogative of the President to exercise mercy, balancing justice with compassion while addressing long-standing concerns about the prison population.