The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Justice for all, Mr. Jonathan Osei Owusu, is calling on the government to pardon drug users who are serving jail terms, to help decongest the prisons.
According to him, when a person uses drugs, there are reasons for it even though he does not condone it. However, “it is a public health matter. It is not supposed to be criminal”.
He added: “the new Narcotics Control Commission Act 1019 (Act 2020) says that the judges have the discretion to sentence some to treatment or to refer them for treatment, which means it is a non-custodial thing that has been introduced.”
Mr. Osei Owusu noted that because the criteria for granting amnesty does not include drug offenders, it is necessary that the state reviews the criteria and include among others convicted non-violent drug users−not traders or traffickers−serving below 10 years per old PNDC Law 236 and petty offenders to decongest the prisons.
“So government should grant amnesty so that those jailed for use but not for trade trafficking will be released to have a second chance in society and decongest the prisons.”
According to him, his outfit is in talks with the government to enact a community service law that will ensure that minor offences are not jailed so the convicts mingle with “hardened criminals to learn behaviours to do something gross than he has done in society”.
He said “We and the Ministry have proposed a bill which is at the ministry. We plead that the Ministry will fast track this to reach cabinet so we can have the community services act.”
Meanwhile, he has indicated their willingness to support the State for non-violent Convicted Drug Users who may need treatment or rehabilitation within the pardon process which is also in accordance with the new Narcotics Control Commission Law 2020 and international best practices, as according to him, the offenders pose no major threat to society but themselves.
Mr. Jonathan Osei Owusu made the call when Justice for all donated some food items to Tarkwa prisons with support from Pos Foundation and Covid-19 Grassroots Justice Fund in the Western Region.
Second in Command (2IC) at the Tarkwa Prisons, Francis Dotsey who received the items on behalf of the prisoners supported the call saying the cells are overpopulated and should crime wave increase, the prison is where the criminals would be brought, hence the need to decongest it.
He added that aside the challenge of overpopulation, each inmate spends GH₵1.80ps daily which is insufficient to serve them proper meals which also is another burden for the government.
