1 February 2005
Acting Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) Anna Bossman has expressed concern about the poor state of the country's prisons and police cells and the treatment of the inmates.
She said the inherent dignity for humanity lies in the manner society treated suspects, adding, "As a people and as a nation which prides itself in upholding the rule of law and promoting and protecting human rights, we should be worried about how we treat prisoners".
Mrs Bossman was speaking during an inspection of prisons and police cells in the Central Region.
He said prisoners are supposed to be deprived only of their liberties but not their dignity and should therefore be treated with respect and dignity.
"If we rob people of their dignity and treat them like animals, chances are that they will lash out at society because they would become vengeful and perhaps hardened criminals."
Mrs Bossman noted that the Ankaful Prisons Annex was overcrowded, while the inmates were suffering from contagious diseases.
She said CHRAJ was also interested in the conditions of service of the Police and Prison Services and called on the government and other stakeholders to improve on the remuneration of the personnel.
Mr Emmanuel Kweenu Bodai, acting regional director of CHRAJ, expressed concern about the state of the nation's prisons and the dehumanising conditions there, saying such a situation "cannot earn the nation a middle income status".
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