Causes and Effects of Overcrowding at Prisons: A Study at the Ho Central Prison, Ghana

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the overcrowding situation at the Ho central prison. The causes, effects on officers and inmates, prevention and measures that could be adopted to address the causes and its adverse effect on the society. In this regards, it is found out that the prisoner’s population at the Ho central prison has been more triple than the official capacity for which it was meant to contain. This was brought  about by poor ventilation as the prison was built to accommodates 120 inmates now has a lock-up of almost 460 prisoners and others on remands.  Furthermore, the finding and their implications have been enumerated and discussed. Among them is the drawing of attention of the appropriate authorities to the overcrowding and its related problems and how to decongest the prison in Ho.On the basis of findings, useful suggestions were made for the rectification of the problems which the study revealed. This includes the implementation of non-custodial sentences in a form of community service sentences, strengthening of the criminal justice system for speedy trail of suspects and the improvement in the conditions of service to motivate serving officers and to attract more qualified professional into the service for efficiency.

Keywords: Prison, Prisoner, Inmates and Overcrowding