Prison Reform in Ghana - Research Paper Example

Prison reform in Ghana or summary This study aims at finding out the necessary reforms which are needed in the Ghanaian prisons. The study begins by identification of the problem. This gives an overview of the general problem with the current system in the prisons. The study will apply various methods in data collection. Interviews will be conducted through open ended questionnaires as well as structured questionnaires. These questionnaires will be filled by various leaders from different departments which are concerned in running of the government prisons. There will also be questionnaires to be filled by ex-prisoners. The results obtained from this study will be very useful in understanding the problem with the prisons in the country. This will be vital in making the necessary changes and identification of the areas which need reforms in the country. Introduction: Problem Statement and Objective Over the past, there have been critical issues in the Ghanaian prisons. The prisons in the country have been faced with many problems. However, the little efforts which have been made to transform the prisons have proved impotent. For instance, the system used in these prisons reflects the colonial system. There have been very little efforts to make the necessary reforms in order to improve the effectiveness of these prisons in meeting the intended objectives. This study gives an analysis of the conditions in the Ghanaian prisons and the necessary reforms. This study has a great significance to the country in general. For instance, it helps the policy makers in understanding the conditions in the prisons. The study aims at committing up with appropriate recommendations of the necessary reforms which should be given the first priority in Ghanaian prisons. The study will also help in understanding the critical issues concerning the Ghanaian prisons. For instance, the study will critically analyze issues like prison Act, jail break, waiting trials, welfare, ex-prisoners, vulnerable prisoners and the colonial prison system. All these issues are of great significance in directing prison reforms in Ghana. In other words, this research will provide adequate information which will lead to improvements in the devastating conditions in the country’s prisons. For instance, the study will help in analyzing possible ways through which the prisoners can be rehabilitated before being released. This will play a significant role in combating crime in the country. Over the past, several cases have been reported whereby some prisoners end up back into prisons soon after being released. This is due to the system which has been used in running and handling of the inmates. There have been little efforts to rehabilitate inmates. Literature Review The issue of prison reforms in Ghana has been discussed by several people over the past. Several people have conducted studies in an attempt to solve the problems facing the prisons in Ghana. To start with, prisons can be viewed as a place where people are confined as a punishment for the crimes they have committed or while waiting for the trial. Many people including the human rights activists have expressed their concerns about the deteriorating conditions in the domestic prisons. Despite of these efforts, these prisons continues to face numerous problems in their systems. The conditions in these prisons remain inhumane, infernal, pitiful and devastating (Augustin, 2011). Therefore, there is a need for Ghanaian government to gear necessary financial and human resources towards the reforms in the domestic prisons. In Ghana, Ghana Prison Service is the main department that is involved in running the prisons in the country. This department works in a close cooperation with the ministry of interior and the ministry of justice. From the past up to now, Ghana has been a member of those countries in the membership of the Death Penalty and Human Rights such as Optional Protocol for the Convention against Torture. These bodies promote fair treatment of the prisoners in a manner that displays respect for the humanity. It is against any degrading punishment which may show lack of respect for humanity. Despite of being a member of such bodies, the conditions in Ghanaian prisons still remains devastating. Inmates are still undergoing torture. They are also denied important rights which should be accessible to every human being in the world. For instance, they are engaged in hard work but do not get quality diet (Kerbs & Jolley, 2009). This has led to deterioration of their health. This implies that there remains a lot to be done in the prisons in Ghana. Most countries in Africa are characterized by high levels of poverty. Ghana is one of those countries which have been faced by this problem. Poverty has increased the rate of crime in Ghana which has raised the number of prisoners in the country’s prisons. This raises the issue of congestion in the prisons. Despite of the great number of prisoners, little effort has been put in order to expand the capacity of the country’s prisons. In the current situation, the prison facilities accommodates all types of prisoners ranging from foreigners, old people, those convicted of rape, man slaughter, murder, fraud, assault, defilement, robbery among other crimes (Obeng, 2010). Little effort has been made to necessary separation of these prisoners. It is important for these prisoners to be separated accordingly depending on their attributes. Such arrangements will be of great significance while making the necessary arrangements for the rehabilitation process. For instance, it could be easier to provide counseling to murder prisoners while separated from the fraud prisoners. This is because they have different crimes which may not be closely related. Another importance of separating prisoners is for the purpose of the welfare of the inmates. For instance, juveniles may be more vulnerable to rape compared to their mature inmates. There is therefore a need to consider separating the prisoners accordingly. According to Steiner (2009), many cases of discrimination has been reported in prisons in the country. The United Nations Declarations of Human Rights proposes that all human beings are equal and there should no discrimination of any kind. However, this is exactly the opposite of what is practiced in the country’s prisons. The staff has been treating the prisoners in inhumane and degrading ways. As already noted, inmates are also treating each other in inhumane and degrading ways. This completely contradicts the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights from Article which promotes fair treatment for every person (Steiner, 2009). This is yet another point which raises a need to have the necessary changes in the Ghanaian prisons. According to Sarkin (2010), the living conditions in these prisons are still too harsh. As a result of corruption and Lack of the means, many prisoners are faced with unfair justice. As a result, many people have ended staying in the prisons for many years without having trials. In some cases, these people may even be innocent but yet suffer in jail for a long period before justice is reached. Many people have been forced to stray in prison for long period without facing the justice. This is another area in the prisons which need to be reformed. Another problem facing the prisons is about the facilities (Sarkin, 2008). The existing facilities in the country’s prisons are in worse conditions. For instance, the existing workshops are not up to the required level for effective rehabilitation process. This has threatened the effectiveness of the process of inmate rehabilitation. In the contemporary world, rehabilitation process in jails has become very important in combating crimes. The government can manage to reduce the level of crimes significantly by targeting the rehabilitation of prisoners. This may also include the extension of counseling to ex-prisoners to ensure that they adopt the required social morals after being released from the prisons. Statement of Proposed Work and Significance of the Objectives This study involves the prisons in Ghana. The study will be based within the national boundaries. This will involve collection of information about the condition of the jails in the country. It will also involve identifications of the main problems facing the domestic prisons. As already noted, the main purpose of this study is to help in understanding the issue facing the prisons in Ghana. The study has three main objectives, which it aims at attaining at the end. One of the main objectives of the study is to understand the problems facing the prisons in the country. This understanding will be of great importance in understanding the major areas which are mostly affected in the Ghanaian prisons. Another objective of this study is to come discover the reforms necessary in the country’s prisons. This will be based on the understanding of the general problems which are faced in the prisons. This will also help in understanding the areas which require immediate attention based on the degree of severity of the problem at hand. Finally, the last objective of this study is to give policy recommendations. This will be based on the findings of the study. These recommendations will be of great significance to the policy makers in making appropriate decisions in prison reforms. In this study, the objectives will be of great significance in the prison reforms in the country. It will require a critical understanding of the problem at hand in order to understand the situation in prisons. The recommendations proposed will be of great significance in solving the problem facing the prisons in the country. Theoretical Framework According to the liberal theory, the prisons in the contemporary world have significantly changed from how they used to be. The prisons have been a tough place where victims spend the hardest of their lives (Huffman, 2009). However, the situation has significantly changed in the liberal world. In most prisons in the contemporary world, inmates can now access entertainment and the life in many prisons has become better than it used to be. Many prisons have come up with system where the inmates are given opportunity to attend certain courses while in prison (Steiner, 2009). All these efforts have been made on the realization of the importance of rehabilitation for prisoners. This has come to change the tradition that prisons are places for punishment. Over the past, little efforts have been made to promote the rehabilitation of the prisoners. As a result, many prisoners end up engaging in the same vices after being released. However, through rehabilitation, some prisons have managed to solve this problem. For instance, in case a person was imprisoned for stealing and then he or she trains in a certain course while in prison, such a person may be able to get job after being released which may help them leave the vice completely. Rehabilitation can be seen as a process of helping people to re-adapt to the society or get back to a particular rank (Chambliss & Schutt, 2010). This process has been very useful in many countries in combating crime. Finally, it is important to note that rehabilitation is the only way through which the prisoners leaving the prison will cease to be seen as a burden to the society. There is therefore a need to have the necessary reforms in the prison system so as to accommodate these changes. Through rehabilitation, the released prisoners will become more useful to the community since they will be viewed as an asset rather than a liability. According to the idealistic school of thought, all the necessary efforts should be applied in order to make the world a better place for all people living in it. In most cases, people do not see the need of rehabilitating the prisons. Most of the people are of the idea that prisons are for the miscreants in the society and therefore no need for reforms (Gyamfi, 2007). Majority of the people argue that the resources which could be used in reforms in the prisons could otherwise have been used in other issues in the society like solving the problem of unemployment in the country. Methodology: Subjects for the Study This study will be restricted to any prison within Ghana. The main people who will participate in this study will be the leaders from the selected prisons in the country. These leaders will be helpful in provision of the necessary information which will help in understanding the situation in the prisons. The government officials will also be significant in proving the necessary information in this study. Ex-prisoners will also be useful in this study. This group will be important in provision of the necessary information in understanding internal issues facing the prisons in the country. They will also help in understanding the problems, which face the prisoners in domestic prisons. Data Collection Methods In this study, a field research will be conducted whereby information will be retrieved from various sources. This data will be useful in answering of the research question. In this case, field data will be retrieved from a number of sources. In this study, both primary as well as the secondary sources will be collected. This will include visiting the prisons and interrogating the inmates and recording notes on information given. This will be very important in getting first hand information. It will also be important in enhancing the profitability of the data collected first hand. Important information will also be retrieved from the official documents from the country’s prisons. This data will be of great significant in understanding the issue at hand. Structured questionnaires will also be useful in collection of the necessary data. These questionnaires will be filled by people from various departments which are involved in the running of the prison. For instance, very important information would be retrieved from Ghana Prison Service and the ministry of justice has a significant control on prisons. Open headed questions will also be useful in data collection in this study. This method of data collection will be very helpful in collecting qualitative data from the selected sample from the population. However, this will be done with a lot of care to avoid any negative feedback. The respondents in this case may be tempted to exaggerate the information they give to favor themselves. For instance, the prison staff may be tempted to alter the information they give in an attempt to hide any corrupt deeds in the country. Data collection through interview will be conducted through face to face interviews with the respondents. This is where the respondents will be asked questions by the interviewer. In this case, the interviewer will read the questionnaire to the respondent and then record what they responds. Data collection through open-ended questions will be conducted on the leaders from prisons, Ghana Prison Service, ministry of justice, ex-prisoners, some selected prisoners and some government officials. While conducting these interviews, a random sample will be selected from the entire population. This will help in overcoming the problem of data biased ness. Data Analysis In this study, the data collected will be both qualitative and quantitative types of data. This data will be collected through interviews as well as the relevant reports. The main aim of the research in this case will be identification of the areas where the prisons has failed. This will be done by analyzing the information retrieved from different individuals. Data from different sources will help in identification of the problems in specific areas. This will help in identification of particular areas which needs immediate reforms. There are several methods which will be applied in data analysis. This analysis will include a precise documentation of the field data. In this case, the researcher will collect data from various sources. Then this data will be compiled and then compared. It is therefore advisable for the researchers to ensure that the data collected is precise. The data collected from interviews and reports will also be examined at this stage. In this process, certain patterns will be identified as well as connections and similarities. This analysis will also identify any deviation from what is expected. In this case, the researcher will be able to identify some critical areas which need urgent reforms in the Ghanaian prisons. Study Ethics In the current study, the objects will be human beings. This raises some ethical research issues. The study will adhere to all specifications which direct conduction of research. The study will work close to the specifications to ensure that the research is up to the required specifications for the security of the respondents. In every research, it is important to keep the confidentiality of the data retrieved. The interviewer is supposed to observe the privacy of the people who provides the materials during the interview. In order to maximize the privacy of the respondents in this study, the names of the respondents will not be necessary. However, the respondents will be free to give their names out of their own will. Similarly, quotations will only be included at the consent of the respondents. The other ethical issue in this research is about giving credit to the data sources. In this case, important data will be collected from relevant government reports. The source of the data will be recognized to give credit to the source. The respondents will be free to participate in the research voluntarily. No one will be forced to participate in the study through force or enticement of any kind. This will ensure that the participants involved in the study are comfortable and this will improve the quality of information collected. The information to be collected in this study does not pose any danger to any person in any way. The process and the activities involved do not pose any psychological, economic, emotional or social risks to the parties involved in the study. Every person should therefore be free to provide the necessary information. There will be no specific individual who will be victimized as a result of the information they give in this research. The information gathered will only be used in making necessary generalizations as well as recommendations to help in improving the prisons in the country. In case of the data collected through the self administered questionnaires, the recorded information will be typed and then the original documents will be shredded to ensure that the information do not reach the hands of unauthorized individuals who may breach the privacy. Conclusion In conclusion, this analysis has clearly shown that there is a serious problem with the prisons in the country. It is clear that there is little effort that has been made to rehabilitate inmates. This has led to many prisoners resuming the same vices soon after being released from the prisons. In fact, most of them come out worse than how they used to be before being imprisoned due to the tough times they are forced to go through in prisons. Many prisoners are also forced to stay in prisons for very long time before the judgment is made. This has led to suffering of innocent individuals. According to the liberal theory, the contemporary world has significantly changed where the need for a better world for everybody is observed. However, this is not the case with the prisons in the country. The living conditions are worse and inmates are being tortured. In other words, this study is of great significance to the country. It will help in understanding the problems facing the prisons in the country. This will be very useful in identification of the critical areas which require reforms. References Augustin, K. (2011). Prison Reforms. Available from http://justiceworldwide.wordpress.com/2011/04/23/prison-reforms/ Chambliss, D.F. and Schutt, R.K. (2010). Making Sense of the Social World: Methods of Investigation. Los Angeles, CA: Pîne Forge Press. Greg, W. H. (2009). The Prison Reform and Rehabilitation System. Available from http://www.helium.com/items/1618527-prison-reform-and-rehabilitation Gyamfi, K. (2007). Lets Manage Our Prison System While We Have Time. Available from http://www.modernghana.com/news/149068/1/lets-manage-our-prison-system-while-we-have-time.html Kerbs, J. and Jolley, J. (2009). A Commentary on Age Segregation for Older Prisoners. Philosophical and Pragmatic Considerations for Correctional Systems. Criminal Justice Review March 2009 vol. 34 no. 1 119-139 Obeng, R. (2010). The Injustices and Congestion in Ghana’s Prisons. Available from http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/artikel.php?ID=174812 Sarkin, J. (2008). Human Rights in African Prisons. Ohio: Ohio University Press. Sarkin, J. (2010). Prisons in Africa: An Evaluation from A Human Rights Perspective. Available from http://www.surjournal.org/eng/conteudos/getArtigo9.php?artigo=9,artigo_sarkin.htm Steiner, B. (2009). Rethinking the Link between Institutional Crowding and Inmate Misconduct. The Prison Journal. June 2009 vol. 89 no. 2 205-233. Read More