The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, has raised concerns over the administration of bail within Ghana’s justice system.

He noted that Ghana’s prisons are overcrowded due to stringent bail and remand conditions set by the courts, which many accused persons are unable to meet.

The reforms under the Community Service Bill, pending approval, if passed, will address the abuse of remand and ease overcrowding in prisons and police cells.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, May 28, the Minister, called for a review of the current system, adding that, his outfit is working with the Attorney General (A-G) and the Minister Justice in introducing reforms that will address the challenges in the bail and remand process.

He added, “I’ve been working with the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, on the constitutional amendment that is currently ongoing, that we should make remand very restrictive because currently it is massively abused. With the least provocation, they say they’ve remanded somebody. You go to the police, and they remand people anyhow.

“Sometimes they give terrible bail conditions which people are not able to meet. We want to take the opportunity in this constitutional amendment to restrict this unnecessary remand.

“I’m sure that if we’re able to get these three things working together. It is going to help us to decongest our prisons and also ourselves, and make life a little better.”

Ghana’s remand system has historically struggled with overcrowding and prolonged pre-trial detention. As of March 2026, reforms such as the Justice for All Programme (JFAP) had reduced remand prisoners to about 12.8% of the total inmate population, compared to 30% in 2007.

In a separate development, many have voiced deep concerns about the troubling state of Ghana’s prisons, particularly the meager funds allocated for feeding inmates.

During his vetting by the Parliamentary Appointments Committee on Friday, January 24, Muntaka committed to making prison reforms a central focus if approved for the position.

The Asawase legislator criticized the GH¢1.80 daily feeding allowance per prisoner, describing it as grossly inadequate and an affront to basic human rights.

He questioned how such a negligible amount could sustain proper nutrition for inmates, remarking that household pets often receive better care.

Muntaka also stressed the severe health challenges arising from poor nutrition, especially in overcrowded and unhygienic prisons where inmates are highly vulnerable to diseases.

He reassured the Committee that increasing the feeding allowance and improving overall prison conditions would be top priorities under his leadership.

“I was shocked when I heard that the rationing for feeding a prisoner in Ghana is GH¢1.80 for the whole day and I doubt with the greatest of respect that even the cats and dogs in our houses, how much food do we give them that we will put our own compatriots because of one mistake or the other, in trying to corect them, we feed them with GH¢1.80 and expect them to be healthy.?”

“It is a very serious thing and I assure my colleagues that I will pay attention to it and address it.”Muntaka also shed light on the extensive challenges confronting Ghana’s prison system, particularly the issue of extreme overcrowding.

A significant number of the nation’s correctional facilities are stretched far beyond their designed limits, fostering conditions that accelerate the spread of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, scabies, and other ailments.

The Ghana Prisons Service has consistently urged the government to intervene and resolve these pressing issues, but progress has been noticeably delayed.