Twelve remand prisoners at the Nsawam Medium Prisons have regained their personal liberties and set free after being released under the Justice for All Program.
The 12 are part of some 24 inmates who appeared before the special Court sittings at the prisons on Wednesday July 24, 2024.
10 others out of the 24 were granted bail while two applicants were unlucky as their applications were refused.
The immates, some of whom have been on remand for more than ten years for crimes such as murder were released after evidence put before Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, a Justice of the Court of Appeal and Justice Kofi Akuffo.
Information made available to the Special Courts suggested the state had not shown interest in Prosecuting the accused persons.
The Justice for all programme which was introduced by the Judiciary some time in 2007 was designed to decongest the prisons by bringing the court to the doorstep of the remand prisoners.
Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, a Justice of the Court of Appeal who doubles as Co-Chair for Judiciary Criminal Justice Committee, emphasized the need to not leave out victims of crime when it comes to justice.
The Executive Director of POS Foundation, Jonathan Osei Owusu, Facilitators of the programme in an interaction with Journalists said the surest way to ease overcrowding in the prisons is to fastrack the implementation of the Community Service Bill.
In 2007, the alarming prison over crowing led to the establishment of the Justice for All Programme by then Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Joe Ghartey together with heads of Criminal Justice Institutions “to bring the court to the doorstep of remand prisoners,” Justice Asare-Botwe added.
