COVID-19: Is The Ghana Prisons Service Ready?

At least four (4) Brazilian prisons have experienced a mass escape of their inmates amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The coronavirus pandemic is currently the greatest source of fear across countries. Governments have imposed self-quarantine practices and advised their citizens to self-distance. Ghana has recorded 6 cases of the coronavirus so far. Schools and other institutions have closed for the period.

Some days ago, the Ghana Prisons Service stopped all visitors of the inmates from coming to see them in a bid to curb the spread of the disease. The current environment in prisons in Ghana indicate that should the virus find its way there, the nation will have a disaster on its hands.

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CASE STUDY: BRAZIL

After canceling the temporary visits of inmates, they (the inmates) escaped. The local officials canceled the visits because of fears the visitors could bring back the virus.

In a statement on Monday, the state’s penitentiary administration secretariat said that 174 inmates have already been recaptured.

Brazilian media reports that the inmates rioted and escaped because of the restrictions and difficulty they were facing after the visitor ban. The local government stopped the temporary exit from prison of the about 34,000 inmates of semi-open regimes due to the fears they could get infected once they get outside and bring the virus back to the institution.

In jails and prisons, people share the already inadequate bathrooms and eating utensils. The toilets are barely cleaned and water for handwashing, oral hygiene and other practices are from the same unhygienic source. People in the same cell often as many as 80— share these sparse facilities.

Hand sanitizers in these institutions are a faint whisper and there I say, even among the officials. Air circulation is always poor. These factors are now a threat to all jails and the country.

Following the current infection rate, it is only a matter of time before court rooms, jails and prisons around the world get their share of the epidemic. Also, it must be noted that there are inmates with underlying conditions which are not appropriately addressed, putting them at a higher risk of being infected.

Considering the great number of people who work in the prisons, it will be imperative that the authorities put in place strict codes to protect their staff and inmates.

The staff are going to return home to pregnant partners, parents who are old and family members with extreme health conditions.

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