CHREP To Support Prisoners

Lawyer Kweku Antwi-Agyei, CED CHREP

 

 

Centre for Human Rights Enforcement and Prisoners Aid (CHREP), a Sunyani based Non-Governmental Organization has been launched in Sunyani to advocate for the enforcement of basic human rights to eradicate injustice from the Ghanaian penal system and to advocate for restorative oriented Justice System.

Speaking at the launching, the brain behind CHREP, Lawyer Kwaku Antwi-Agyei, said the formation of CHREP is mainly to speak for the poor, the destitute, the down trodden and the imprisoned.

 According to him, the NGO will advocate for the welfare of prisoners, fight for their rights and draw attention of policy makers to their plight.

He said the fundamental human rights of prisoners in Ghana are being violated each passing day. He revealed that currently the Sunyani Central Prisons has over 800 inmates instead of the 271 inmates which it has as its capacity to accommodate prisoners.

Lawyer Antwi-Agyei said this has resulted into congestion, over-crowding and the concomitant spread of communicable diseases like HIV/AIDs, and TB. “Homosexuality, lesbianism, sodomy is also on the rise in our prisons”, he added.

“We look forward to a justice system where there will be expeditious trial or trial within a reasonable time, because justice delayed is justice denied”, he noted.

Lawyer Antwi-Agyei said the NGO will construct a modern day reform-oriented prisons, non custodial or probationary sentences for minor offences and young offenders.

He said the NGO will look forward to prisoners who are reformed to reintegrate into society after their terms of imprisonment.

The NGO which has lawyers, judges and influential persons in society as it board members, is focused on making prisons non-crowded, spacious and adequate number of prisons and of international standards.

The outgoing Sunyani High Court Judge, His Lordship Justice Ato Assan, who is also a board member of CHREP, called on everyone to join the NGO in advocating for the rights of prisoners and the poor in society.

The PRO for Brong Ahafo Regional Branch of Ghana Police Service, ASP Christopher Tawiah, disclosed that the police are trained on the welfare of prisoners, but the enforcement of some of the laws is the problem because the police service is not an income generating service.
He applauded CHREP for the initiative and said it will go a long way to help the society.

The newly elected board members has the President of Brong Ahafo Regional Branch of Ghana Bar Association, William Oduro Amponsah as its acting Chairman, Outgoing High Court Judge, Justice Ato Assan, MP for Sunyani East, Kwasi Ameyaw Cheremeh, Officer from the Social Welfare, Vida Mintah, Proprietress of Solomon Bennett Memorial School, Grace Bennett, Lawyer Kwaku  Antwi-Agyei the Executive Director of CHREP as its board members.