Justice for All program has decongested Ghana’s prisons – Joe Ghartey

New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer hopeful and former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Joe Ghartey, has said the introduction of the Justice for All programme has reduced the number of remanded persons in Ghanaian prisons to only 9% from 30%.

“Justice for All was a program which took the court into the prisons to find out the trials of the people. Today I say this to praise the Lord that only 9% of our inmates are remand prisoners,” Joe Ghartey has said.

According to him, the decision to introduce such a life-touching program was realized after visiting the Kumasi Central Prison, where he saw that the place was overcrowded.

Speaking to Kumasi-based radio Angel FM, Joe Ghartey revealed that when he visited the Kumasi Central Prisons, he met a young lady who had been jailed because she could not pay a bail amount.

“When I went to the Kumasi prisons, the place was so crowded, and you were not allowed to talk to the inmates,” he recounted

The former Minister for Railways further revealed that “before the justice for all program, there were about 33% of inmates who were remand prisoners. There were people who had not been convicted by a court whiles some of them had never been made to appear in court”.

He added that “other African countries like Kenya have adopted the program in their country to help reduce the number of remand prisoners in their prisons. I say all these things, and I’m happy about them because you must make a difference wherever you find yourself.”

The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has set November 4, 2023, as the date for its presidential primaries to select a flagbearer for the general elections in 2024

Former Attorney General and Minister for Justice Joe Ghartey will face former Agric Minister Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Mr. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen the Former Trade Minister, Mr. Boakye Agyako Former Energy Minister and Hon Kenndey Agyapong, Mr. Kwabena Agyapong Former General Secretary of the party, Mr. Francis Addai Nimoh and Dr. Konadu Apraku have all made their intentions to contest in the upcoming Presidential primaries.

The Vice President, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, has also hinted at plans to contest to lead the party ahead of the 2024 polls.

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