TALE OF 'ZONTOLI' IN GHANA'S PRISONS: THE DEBATE OVER GH¢1.80 FEEDING RATE

Until recent times, issues related to Ghana’s Prisons and what pertains to them were shrouded in secrecy. The system operated like an occult with scanty information on its operations in the public domain. 

To compare the then clandestine nature of prison activities to the privileged priests in the old testament of the Holy Bible who had exclusive access to the holy of holies of the tabernacle will be an understatement. This anti-public syndrome bred unthinkable misconceptions that warped public knowledge about the prison institution. 

Myth about food for prisoners

Among the age-old stories that wrapped the understanding of many who had not come into contact with prisons is the kind of food prison inmates are fed with.  

Growing up as a child, I heard a lot of terrifying stories about prisons which I later found out were myths that held my imagination miles away from the facts. Even after leaving tertiary school, those stories still kept me in the dark until I became a member of the prison community.

One of the tales that got the better part of me was the type of gari, a product of processed cassava, inmates ate in prison. I was made to believe that prisoners were made to live on special gravel-mixed gari as punishment for the crimes they committed. Somehow, this and many more of such stories still linger on and I will crack the cocoons on them in the coming days.

Absolute fact

For readers who have not had the opportunity to visit a prison facility to see what inmates eat, this piece brings you an absolute fact. 

There exists not any unfamiliar food in the prisons from what is consumed in the larger society. The only difference in the prison situation is the limited array of foods and the calibrated quantities of meals due to the low daily feeding rate, which is currently GH¢1.80 per prisoner.

Although gari is one of the major foods for the prison population, it is not served in any weird form to inmates from how it is enjoyed by the Ghanaian population. Gari is either soaked with sugar or with grinded pepper and fish or shito. Any preferred mode of eating it in prison is permitted.

Checking process

Any ration that is served to inmates goes through a checking process. The superintendent of prison and the medical officer of the facility are compulsorily required by Prison Standing Orders to taste and sign a ration book. Standing Order no. 263 is unequivocal on the inspection of inmates’ ration. It states, “Should the medical officer be of the opinion that any of the food to be issued as rations is unfit for human consumption … the superintendent shall immediately replace the portion of food declared unfit.” This is routinely complied with to ensure the wholesomeness of each ration. The practice does not amount to eating of inmates’ ration as only the above designated officers are assigned this responsibility.

Improvised fufu

What is intriguing to learn is that inmates have devised an ingenious means of converting soaked gari to fufu. Inmates crush soaked gari until its molecules gain complete smoothness and elasticity comparable to that of fufu, which is enjoyed with an incredible zeal.  

As a matter of fact, most inmates in the Western Region’s Prisons prefer gari to other available meals on their menu because of the fufu it offers them. This improvisation is a perfect substitute for fufu that no inmate wants to be left out.

In 2014, I happened to be at a bus station at Nkwanta in the Volta Region where many passengers were gathered to board a bus to Accra. While waiting to get on board, a group of passengers, who apparently knew someone who had been sentenced to prison on that day, started an interesting discussion on how difficult life in prison was.

The leader of the spell-bound discussion touched on the type of food in prison and how a particular ration known as “zontoli” was made of water with palm oil. It was funny and heartbreaking listening to them at the same time. To the surprise of the discussants, I sought permission to contribute to the topic in question which they agreed. There was total silence and rapt attention after I had introduced myself as a prison officer.

At a snail’s pace, I demystified the stories and addressed the barrage of questions they posed to me. Many of those who listened expressed the desire to know more about the prisons because they were immersed in myths that could not be verified or taken with a pinch of salt.

Feeding rate

The current feeding rate of GH₵1.80 raises concern about the quality of food it could buy. Questions have also been asked about whether it is worth offering prison inmates decent and nutritious meals. But the most important question that is missing in the debates is whether anybody can survive on GH₵1.80 for a day in Ghana now.

A negative answer to this question will bring to mind a picture of how magical prison authorities could be to manage or contain the situation: maneuvering to feed these inmates with this meagre sum without experiencing riots in the prisons.

Backyard farming

The antidote that has reduced the risk of this situation to prison security is the diligence and innovation of prison superintendents. Most establishments that are farm stations or have parcels of land around them have introduced backyard farming. Vegetables such as cabbage, carrot, green pepper, okra, garden eggs and other foodstuff are cropped to serve as supplement to inmates’ ration.

However, with the increases in food prices over the years, there is the need to adjust the feeding rate to relieve the inmates and prison authorities of the untold hardship that is likely to besiege prisons.

What should be borne in mind is that a hungry and malnourished prison population has consequences for the society. Much of the prison population is the youth who are released back into society on a daily basis. And we cannot look on for their health to deteriorate in the future. Considering an upward adjustment of the feeding rate will help forestall any future threat to inmates’ health and by extension the security of society. 

Writer is an Advocate of Prison reforms in Ghana

Writer’s email: bisilkibaba@gmail.com

Published: Daily Graphic newspaper, Ghana, 7Th April, 2016

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CUSTODY TIME LIMIT IMPACT ON PRISON CONGESTION IN GHANA

The adage ''Nature cannot be cheated" is a tune successive governments fail to dance to anytime issues of congestion in the country’s prisons surface.

The fact that over 70 percent of the country’s prisons were built during the colonial era without commitment to a practical containment plan for the increasing population explains it all.

There is no correlation between crime tracking and vigilance efforts and adequate preparation for the final destination of offenders, which is the prison.

The attitude of seeing the prison system as subservient to other state institutions is the architect of this long-experienced congestion problem. This syndrome has been inimical and remains a bane to the progress of the system and well-being of offenders who equally deserve healthy and dignifying living conditions as humans.

Congestion in the prisons has undoubtedly become an albatross on the neck of the Prison Administration and the country as a whole with far-reaching effects on the incarcerated. It causes excessive strain on the limited amenities and accommodation facilities and counters daily efforts aimed at improving the environmental conditions of the prisons.

It is in view of this that the in-progress initiative by the Ghana Prisons Service to hold the bull by the horn by vigorously pursuing a permanent solution to congestion is relieving and worth applauding by all.

Guidelines launched

Though the concept of Custody Time Limit, which first surfaced at a stakeholders’ conference on Remand Administration in 2013, was warmly received, its feasibility anticipated challenges.

But the collaborative resolve of the Prisons Service, stakeholders and international partners has defied the odds. The thirst for its success has so far beckoned assurance of hope as the parent document couched Sentencing Guidelines for Judges has already been launched.

Custody Time Limit is an essential element of a definite sentencing policy which stipulates specific period of remanding and sentences for specific crimes. This policy, whose implementation will blow a new wind of fresh breath, brings many benefits to the Criminal Justice System in Ghana.

Importance of the guidelines

With its introduction, the vagueness, which hitherto gave room for undue delays in prosecuting, will be largely checked. This will lessen public complaints over perceived inconsistencies in sentences pertaining to same crime and boost public trust and confidence in the Judiciary.

Implementing this policy will also contribute to the reduction in overcrowding in the prisons as persons remanded will no longer overstay in custody in the absence of reasonable evidence for their trial. This will help mitigate the human suffering overcrowding visits on prisoners in the country.

The Roger Coventry Centre for Paralegal Services in the Central Prisons across the country is a major step towards this direction. The centre is to effectively liaise with the police and courts by monitoring remand warrants to ensure their speedy trial.

Lifeline

The lifeblood of this policy will be the continuous cooperation and support of stakeholders towards the realisation of its goal of ensuring that justice is served to the citizenry. To ensure this policy works to its fullest potential requires all hands on deck.

While Roger Coventry and other pioneers of this laudable policy will ever be remembered for working round the clock to see it materialise, persons privileged to contribute towards this aim have a call to contribute wholeheartedly in the interest of justice.

Writer’s Email:bisilkibaba@gmail.com

The writer is an Assistant Superintendent of Prisons at the Sekondi Central Prison

Published: Daily Graphic newspaper, Ghana, 4th August, 2015

STIGMATISING PRISONERS AND THE NEED FOR RENEWAL OF MINDSET

One of the tags that continues to suffer severe stigma and rejection is that which prisoners bear in Ghana.  The noun, ‘prisoner’ echoes negative meanings to a good number of the populace which in turn affects persons in prison custody badly. And this is not without implications for the larger society.

The perception that prisoners are a strayed breed of misfits who deserve interminable separation from society needs to be corrected. There is no doubt that deliberate acts of wickedness against fellow humans should not be tolerated.

But what ought to be realised is that stigmatising prisoners and ex-convicts is not a solution to crime reduction. In any case, current developments have given credence to the fact that not all the people in Ghanaian prisons are criminals. A story in 2015 which revealed that the Enquirer’s court reporter was framed up and wrongfully sentenced underpins this claim.

Prisoners need our compassion

The continuous branding of prisoners offers society nothing but egoism as against offering encouragement and support to these inmates who need to get back on their feet after serving their terms of imprisonment.  It also keeps us on the fence instead of awakening us to the urgent need to eliminate the structural violence that pushes our people into crime.

The worst of all is how  we are blindfolded from realising that each citizen is equally vulnerable to the fate of these inmates.The call for cessation of stigma against prisoners and ex-convicts is not without the grasp of the fact that some of the crimes are self-inflicted. But the reality is that there exists misfortunes and accidental law-breaking which can pin any citizen to the prison walls. The representation of various professionals and persons of all walks of life in our prisons confirms this - not a single citizen is immune to imprisonment.

Prison as accident ward

The popular likening of the prisons to accident wards is food for thought. Just as accident wards are no respecter of persons, so are life situations that impose imprisonment on victims.

    

A typical instance that reflected this reality was the case of a man in his late 60’s who got remanded in Sekondi Central Prison on February 4 , 2015.

The old man stood as surety for his son who later absconded. This exposed him to the harsh truth of the law.  He could not believe he was in lockup and would be passing the night in a cell. In fact, he trembled and sobbed in complete shock as he waited to be assigned a cell. His thoughts could almost be imagined - what he never wished for himself embraced him at mid-day.

Records of high profile personalities who have been to prisons in Ghana and elsewhere are enough proof that imprisonment is a possibility for all persons. Indeed, if the human shadow were to be a crime tracking device, all persons would have probably passed a night in the prisons one time or the other.

The fact that the police are not in every closet; not all crimes get reported and the open secret, that the powerful in our part of the world often swerve the law with impunity should purge us of condemning attitudes towards prisoners. 

Change of attitude towards prisoners

The consequence for denigrating prisoners with stigma and rejection transcends these prisoners. It does not only jeopardise inmates’ recovery and reintegration into society but also has implications for the larger society. Reoffending obviously impacts on the comfort of individuals in society: the better citizens prisoners become, the lesser society is harmed.

Individual and collective support towards the improvement of prison conditions and reformation of inmates is the way to go if there is any substance in our pride as  humane and loving people.

This can only be achieved through a renewal of our attitudes towards prisoners and the prison system in the country. Crime must not be abhorred in isolation without giving heed to factors that cause it. Stigma is one of such factors that directly mend the circle of reoffending among ex-convicts and we need to stop it.

Mandela’s authoritative view on key indicators of a society’s advancement is a great reminder that cannot go unnoticed.  According to him, the development of a society is reflected in the state of its prisons: whether prison facilities are structured and equipped to better the lives of citizens committed to lawful custody or are deserted with less impact on offenders. The former shows that a society is forward thinking.

Ghana cannot, therefore, continue to hold itself high in the sphere of human rights and respect for all citizens when its prison population which constitutes a major vulnerable section of society is the least in the priority list of what matters in national development.

Hiplife artiste Kwaw Kese has taken a giant step by launching a 20-year life-changing project that aims to establish 15 different industries in Ghana’s prisons. The objective is to engage the thousands of idle hands in the prisons and equip them with employable skills. This is the orientation that we need as individuals and as a society towards our brothers and sisters in prison custody. Stigma against prisoners must be a thing of the past as we join hands to combat the social and economic problems that face our society.

Writer's email: bisilkibaba@gmail.com

Published: Daily Graphic newspaper, Ghana, 25th February, 2016

RECURRENT CONFLICTS IN NORTHERN GHANA; THE WAY FORWARD

It is a basic fact that conflict is a powerful force that confronts every human society. No matter how enlightened a society may appear to be, it cannot claim absolute immunity over the potential of experiencing conflict.

This explains why most modern societies have committed energies and resources to developing holistic and effective fire belts, in the forms of measures and structures - to serve as insulators against the outbreak of violent conflicts.

Although positive post-conflict peacebuilding outcomes are believed to have some influence in correcting the ills of the affected communities, armed conflict for instance, remains the least of preferred options for settling differences. This is mainly because of its irreparable impact, such as loss of lives and other attendant human rights abuses. 

Sadly, armed violence has almost become the convenient panacea to ethnic and chieftaincy disputes in the country, especially in the northern sector. This development needs to be looked at seriously with a deliberate drive to finding lasting solution to them.  

While it may be argued that not a single region in Ghana is immune to armed violence, the frequent eruption of pockets of violence in the northern region this year has become a major concern to many. It is almost predictable that the situation may deteriorate on a dark day if long term strategies are continuously overlooked in a bid to deal with the situation.

Already, five lives have been lost in two separate clashes that occurred between April and May this year. This is alarming considering the space of time the lives were lost. It is in this regard that urgent steps must be taken by government and civil society groups to mitigate these incidents.

Ghana appears to have a limited scope of peace efforts as such campaigns only become prominent during sensitive national events. Evidently, elections are the most targeted of all peace efforts in the country. Other vulnerable areas such as chieftaincy and land disputes have barely received the needed attention. Whilst the current move by the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs to codify the lines of succession is commendable it must be emphasised that documents do not work on their own except by human efforts.  The need for attitudinal change in the approach to dealing with these chronic conflicts, particularly in the north, is therefore critical in ensuring national peace.

To make progress in this direction requires an integrative approach that embraces specific steps at all levels of the country’s peace efforts. Clearly, beefing up the country’s intelligence gathering cannot be overemphasised. The Bureau of National Investigations and the Criminal Investigative Departments need to be further equipped with the acumen to hatch security threats through effective information gathering. Failure to place intelligence gathering at the centre of the country’s conflict prevention efforts will continue to disable all attempts to achieve this objective.

The disease of non-political assertiveness which characterise government’s willingness in dealing with northern conflicts must stop. Political lip service to the region’s conflicts is a major setback which undermines the state’s ability to apply ‘carrots and sticks’ in resolving its internal conflicts.

There is also the need for government and other nongovernmental peacebuilding organisations to be proactive by investing in fact-finding research that is capable of uncovering the subjective and objective dimensions that account for the conflicts.

Again, the use of military muscle must be diversified to include the application of positive inducement which is aimed at long-term conflict resolution. This is often not the case in the north as military involvement is limited to scattering of the feuding factions after which a cease-fire is considered the end of conflict. 

Creepy, as it may sound, is the stereotyped view some Ghanaians have about their northern based countrymen. Some individuals have the thinking that ‘pepefor’, literally northern folks, lack understanding and should be left to their fate. This mindset is unhealthy and needs to be discarded as it jeopardises the spirit of neighbourliness which is essential for national integration and development.

Indeed, no part of Ghana can be detached to function in isolation because of the resources it brings to the national table or the crises that it is bedevilled with. However, the repercussions of conflicts in any region have rippling effects on all and therefore must be a concern to all.

Writer’s email address: bisilkibaba@gmail.com

Published: Daily Dispatch newspaper, Ghana, 29Th May, 2014. 

DEFILEMENT, ANY LESSONS FOR MEN?

Hold it a bit or risk being jailed. This seems to be the strongest message from the disturbing trend of defilement cases at the Sekondi Central Prison, where defilement placed 4^Th on the chart of crimes recorded in 2015.

But the situation is not just a matter in only the Western Region. Figures available at the national level in 2014, for instance, indicate that defilement cases recorded stood at 4.9 percent, placing 5th nationally. 

Love relationship with young females often turns to pose a huge threat to their male partners, especially in situations where the exact age of the female is not painstakingly verified by the suitor.  And men must learn to either hold their ‘pendulum’ or insure themselves, by exercising the highest precaution possible. 

Persons who have been trapped in this web either blame their predicaments on inaccurate age information supplied by their female partners or the connivance of aggrieved parents to ‘pay them back’ for ripping where they have not sown.  

Love, it is said, is the sweetest adventure if found and experienced with the right person. But  the stories of many in the prison who have felt the thorny side of it forewarns a lot. I do not intend to sound quixotic by entirely faulting the male victims, since exceptions exist in some occurrences. My word of caution, which is in sync with Chinua Achebe’s statement that: “A patient  penis will certainly eat the bearded meat” is perhaps the ideal advice to all males.

Once the uncertainty of getting gripped in the strong arms of the law is very high in this adventure, much homework needs to be done before making a move. Whilst admitting the impetuous influence of the fever of love or infatuation on men and women alike, nurturing the tact of patience and will to check the age of a prospective female partner clears one of potential dangers. 

The fact is that the physical appearance of a female can be deceptive: one’s judgement may not reflect the true age and feminist power bestowed on her by the creator.  As it is said, ‘until you taste the wine of a palm tree, never limit its glory to the fruits it bears’.
    

Different age groups, ranging from 18 to 80 are in prisons for drawing water, a major necessity of life, from the wrong well. The spate of this offence is incredible; one wonders if the wise saying that when birds devise new methods of flying to shun danger, hunters should also up their game, has fast eluded the attention of some men.

The question then is, will it be prudent to demand the birth certificate or other means of proof of age before dating a lady? Well, your guess may be as unpopular and unwelcomed as mine.  Diving into the game of seeking to siphon what may turn out illicit with ruining consequences and responsibly positioning oneself against the odds, which is better?

What should serve as a warning notice to all is that, one may be short changed for mutual pleasures shared. Naturally, there is not a stimulus without a response. A male may lose out on many so-called opportunities for treading cautiously in this exhilarating but slippery path. But most men will confess that it pays off to treat a mosquito on your balls with respect.

The fact is that the young men will definitely swing the pendulum with caution, having regard for the harshness of the punishment the offence attracts.

Writer's email: bisilkibaba@gmail.com

Published: Daily Graphic newspaper, Ghana, 14Th June, 2016.