Human rights and crime prevention advocacy organization, Crime Check Foundation (CCF), has called for the passage of the Non-Custodial Bill into law.
At a press conference, the organisation’s Chief Executive Officer, Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, stated that, “Some vagrants and other poor persons who are arrested and fined end up in jail if they are unable to pay the fines. CCF is calling for the passing of the Non-Custodial Sentencing Bill into law. This will ensure that judges have other sentencing options, such as community service.”
“This is because our prisons are congested and with deplorable conditions.”
The press conference was organised at the Ghana Press Centre to update the media and stakeholders of the developments in the CCF and Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) Decriminalizing Vagrancy Laws and Advocacy project.
The project seeks to create an enabling environment for vagrants in Ghana, in order to increase public awareness of vagrancy laws; increase citizens’ monitoring of vagrancy laws, and to institutionalize engagements and actions on violations under these laws.
“While citizens’ knowledge of the bye-laws and other relevant legal provisions are vital for compliance, the MMDAs are hardly able to provide education on the laws for their citizens. The overall effect is that poor and vulnerable citizens become victims of the laws because they lack knowledge of the laws that affect their lives,” Mr Kwarteng also said at the press conference.
The foundation is, therefore, “joining forces with the media and other CSOs in this agenda to ensure the Non-Custodial Sentencing Bill is passed to allow more judges to impose fines rather than just custodial sentences.”
About Crime Check Foundation
CCF is a crime prevention and advocacy organisation that uses Life in Prison Documentaries to sensitise the public to the dangers of crime.
The organisation also organises health check series, philanthropy series, a street charity, educational support series, among others.