Access to justice is a fundamental right, yet many accused persons in Ghana remain incarcerated due to lack of legal representation, wrongful convictions, and harsh sentencing. Article 19(2)(f) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana grants individuals the right to self-representation in court in the absence of a lawyer, but awareness of this provision remains low. Even those who are aware often lack the legal knowledge and confidence to navigate judicial proceedings effectively. The inability to appeal convictions and sentences due to lack of legal support has resulted in most cases a miscarriage of justice, prolonged incarceration, further worsening prison overcrowding and the plight of the Ghanaian prisoner.

While the Justice for All Programme (JFAP) has been instrumental in reducing Ghana’s remand population, it has faced criticism for primarily focusing on pre-trial detainees, leaving convicted prisoners with limited intervention towards access to justice.

The rising number of convicted inmates highlights the need for interventions addressing post-conviction legal challenges.Recognizing this gap, the POS foundation with stakeholders in Ghana’s criminal justice system sought solutions to ensure equitable access to legal representation for all prisoners. By introducing the IPP program.

Initiation and Implementation

Following a study visit to Kenya facilitated by the U.S. Department of Justice, a Ghanaian delegation—including representatives from the Judicial Service, Ghana Prisons Service, Public Interest Lawyers, and the POS Foundation—adopted the In-Prison Paralegal Program (IPP), modeled after Kenya’s African Prisons Project. The IPP aims to complement the JFAP by training inmates and prison officers as paralegals to assist in the preparation and filing of appeals for convicted inmates seeking to self-represent in court.

Pilot at Nsawam Medium Security Prison

The POS Foundation, with support from the U.S. Department of State, launched the IPP pilot at Nsawam Medium Security Prison in 2019. An intensive training program was conducted for selected prison officers, inmates, and external personnel, equipping them with legal knowledge and skills to manage a newly established paralegal office to enhance the appeal school.

The training, led by seasoned lawyers, covered essential aspects of legal representation, including:

Understanding Ghana's Criminal Justice System.
Criminal law and Jurisprudence.
Court Systems and Appeals process.
Drafting basic legal documents, affidavits, motions, and written submissions for vetting and reviews by lawyers
Filing appeals by convicted inmates on self-representation.

Following the initial training, a three-month mentorship program ensured continuous capacity-building, enabling trained paralegals to review cases, refine legal strategies, and share best practices.

Success Story

One of the early successes of the IPP was the case of Ama Forson, who had been convicted and sentenced to 11 years for possession of narcotics without lawful authority. After spending four years in prison, Ama received legal assistance through the program and successfully appealed her case. She was subsequently acquitted and discharged, marking a significant milestone in the IPP’s efforts to correct judicial errors and promote fair justice.

Read Ama's Story

Expansion to Kumasi Central Prison

Encouraged by the success of the Nsawam pilot, the POS Foundation, with support from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), expanded the IPP to Kumasi Central Prison in 2023. This phase aimed to provide free legal assistance to both remand and convicted prisoners while strengthening the capacity of inmates and prison officers as paralegals.

The Kumasi training program was led by Justice Sir Dennis Adjei of the Court of Appeal and other legal experts. The training covered advanced legal procedures, appeal processes, and strategies for effective self-representation. Since its expansion, the program has successfully facilitated the release of four inmates through the efforts of trained in-prison paralegals.

Technology Integration and Justice System Efficiency

To further enhance the efficiency of the IPP, the POS Foundation introduced an advanced case management software designed to:

Digitally track the bio-data of beneficiaries
Streamline the collection of case records and inmate interviews
Facilitate the drafting and filing of legal applications (affidavits and motions)
Generate real-time criminal justice infographics and reports
Provide a shared database accessible to all relevant Justice Sector Institutions under the National Steering committee of Justice for all

This technology-driven approach significantly reduces processing time, minimizes paperwork, and enhances collaboration among legal stakeholders, ensuring a more efficient justice delivery system.

Future Outlook

Building on the successes at Nsawam and Kumasi Central Prisons, the IPP aims to expand nationwide, targeting key prisons across Ghana. The program’s long-term vision includes:

Scaling up training programs to empower more inmates and prison officers
Strengthening legal aid partnerships to increase pro bono representation
Integrating technology further for case tracking and digital court filing
Advocating policy reforms to institutionalize in-prison legal support services

By bridging the gap in access to justice, the IPP and JFAP is transforming Ghana’s prison system, ensuring that both remand and convicted prisoners have the legal resources needed to exercise their constitutional rights. The program continues to be a beacon of hope for inmates seeking justice, proving that legal empowerment within prisons can drive meaningful reform in the criminal justice system.

In-Prison Paralegal Program (IPP)