Controversial marriage counsellor, Cyril George Lutterodt has charged human rights advocates in Ghana to champion the cause of prison reforms rather than advocating conjugal rights for inmates.

Some human rights activists have been pushing for the construction of conjugal homes within the walls of the prisons to enable the inmates have sex with their spouses while serving their jail term.

The activists insist the absence of the conjugal homes is an infringement on the rights of the inmates.

One of such human rights advocates, Mr Edmond Amarkwei, a lawyer, who is also the Head of Public Law at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), at the last Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative Media workshop held in Accra on the theme: ‘Decriminalising Petty Offences in Ghana’, called on the Ghana Prisons Service to put up the conjugal homes for the inmates.

Speaking on the mid-day news on Accra100.5FM, Mr Lutterodt, who is known for his no-holds-barred views on such matters, said denying prison inmates their conjugal rights is part of the punishment regime.

He said: “When you break the rule governing nature, you’re confined. It should not be encouraged.”

The counsellor also refuted claims that allowing prison inmates to have sex can largely reduce sodomy cases within the walls of their confinement.

“Sodomy is not just happening in Ghana prisons only, it is everywhere”.

He has, therefore, called on human rights advocates to rather push for the need for prison reforms to help the inmates become better persons after serving their jail term.