Ghana’s prison infrastructure: the need for an overhaul
Prisons have been in existence for centuries as a means of punishing citizens who commit crimes against society, but over the years, the high rate of recidivism (the tendency of a convicted criminal to re-offend) led to a review of the penal system in many advanced societies.
A lot of countries have abandoned the crudeness and torment which were associated with earlier prisons. Transforming criminals into model citizens is the driving force behind modern prisons or correctional facilities.
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Prisons in Ghana
Ghana’s penal system is inundated with problems. Majority of the prisons were not purposefully built, and as such are not adequately equipped to address the needs of inmates in the reformation process. Apart from the Ankaful Maximum Security Prison, which was inaugurated in 2011, there has not been any purposefully built prison in Ghana since 1962. For instance, the Kumasi Central Prison was established in 1901 and rehabilitated in 1925, and the Nsawam Medium Security Prison was built in 1960. Although these prisons represented advanced thinking when they were constructed, they offer an inappropriate response to today’s correctional ideals.
Currently, there are high levels of overcrowding in majority of prisons in Ghana. As of 2009, when my interest in prison reforms began, the authorised capacity of prisons in Ghana was 7,875 inmates, but the population as of February 6, 2009 was 14,023, and there has not been any significant improvement since then. Hence, the unbearable load on the few obsolete, low-capacity prisons in the country.
The treatment of Ghanaian prisoners could be likened to what existed in the early 19th century in Europe when the main goal of imprisonment was revenge.
Differential access to legal representation has resulted in prison population disproportionately constituted by the poor in society. Even when they have been unjustifiably sentenced, it takes many years for remedies to be sought because of the financial consequences associated with the fight for justice.
New trends in prison design
The current trend in prison design represents the philosophical direction of reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration. It has been adopted by many countries because it has become apparent that it is not enough to resort to higher penalties, including longer sentences for criminal activities, and expect change in the character of an inmate.
Iron bars and concrete walls alone do little to reform criminals. Many criminologists have argued that social problems such as unemployment, homelessness, discrimination, inadequate health care and unequal education, left unaddressed, will lead to an unabated rate of incarceration.
Prison designers are, therefore, creating more humane environments for medium and minimum security facilities with the use of softer materials such as carpeting, wooden doors, floor tiles and improved colour code for interior walls, better acoustics and more natural light in cells. Softer materials serve as an incentive for prisoners to be responsible for their surroundings.
The physical appearance of modern correctional facilities and their spaces do not deviate too much from what happens in normal life. For instance, in many Scandinavian countries, the interior design of prisons are intentionally made luxurious, and the results on inmate reformation have been highly positive. Attention is also paid to the needs of prison officers and other workers engaged in the daily running of prisons.
Well-equipped gymnasiums, libraries, changing rooms and other amenities are becoming more common as a way to create a less stressful environment and keep prison officers abreast of modern trends.
Future of Ghanaian prisons
There has to be a revolutionary mechanism to achieving humane conditions and greater welfare of the incarcerated population in Ghana.
Prisoners must serve prison time with dignity. This will mean proper medical care, skills acquisition, nutritional satisfaction and provision of formal and informal education. The Ghana Prison Service must ensure that inmates spend majority of their waking hours doing things of constructive nature to occupy their time and contribute to national development. Activities that will bring revenue to both the inmates and the prison service should be encouraged.
There can be industrial wings built close to the prisons (food processing, printing, textile etc.) to make use of prison labour. These will help generate revenue needed for regular maintenance and make it possible for financial arrangements to be made for deserving inmates who offer essential services to the prison service to aid in life after serving their prison terms. Inmates with the financial incentives can also contribute to the upkeep of family members, especially children.
Most importantly, the Government of Ghana must also invest in Halfway Houses (a place where people are aided in readjusting to society following a period of imprisonment). Such an intervention will help in reducing recidivism in Ghana.
The writer is an urban designer at Habitance Hub, an urban planning and design studio in Accra, Ghana. [email protected]
