Parliament has passed a new bill introducing community service as an alternative to prison for minor crimes.
The Community Service Bill, 2026, establishes a National Community Service Secretariat and creates a legal framework to expand sentencing options, aiming to reduce the country’s reliance on imprisonment.
Interior Minister Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka presented the bill on 4 March under the 1992 Constitution, before it was referred to the Defence and Interior Committee.
A committee report noted that Ghana’s justice system has traditionally relied on custodial sentences, leading to persistent overcrowding, straining the prison service, and increasing government spending on inmate maintenance, healthcare, and infrastructure.
The committee said the new law forms part of wider reforms by the interior ministry to prioritise non-custodial sentencing, rehabilitate offenders, and reduce reoffending. Efforts to develop the policy began in 2014 with support from UNICEF.
The law gives effect to non-custodial provisions under the 1960 Criminal Procedure Act and the 2009 Interpretation Act, broadening options for the judiciary and improving prison management.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
