Many Ghanaians think visiting a relative in prison is just about waking up and going to the prison yard. But the Ghana Prisons Service has strict rules. If you don’t know them, you will be turned away at the gate.
According to the Prisons Standing Orders, 1960, Standing Orders No. 395 to 412, and as explained by Corporal Emmanuel Boateng Agyemfra of the Ashanti Regional Public Relations Unit, here is the full guide to Prison Visitation in Ghana.
WHO CAN VISIT AND WHEN?
The law says a well-behaved prisoner shall be allowed a visit by family or friends. But not every prisoner has the same visiting rights.
– Convict Prisoners: Those who have already been sentenced can receive visits twice every two weeks. Not every day.
– Remand Prisoners: Those who are still on trial and have not been convicted can receive visitors every day.
One important rule: No visits on Sundays and public holidays. So don’t go to any prison in Ghana on Sunday. You will not be allowed in.
THE 5 MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS FOR EVERY VISITOR
If you are going to visit, you must go with these:
1. Valid ID Card: Every visitor must come along with a valid national ID – Ghana Card, Voter’s ID, Passport, etc. Without it, no processing.
2. Visitor’s Pass (Prison Form No. 12): Every single visitor must have a Visitor’s Pass. This is called Prison Form No. 12. At the gate, this form is given to you and your visit is recorded. At the back of this form, the officer supervising your visit will write extracts of your conversation.
Yes, your conversation in prison is recorded. This is law.
3. No Handshakes, No Hugging: According to Standing Order No. 398, visitors and inmates are not allowed to shake hands or embrace. This is not wickedness. It is to prevent passing of contraband like drugs, phones, or blades.
4. You Must Taste Your Own Food: Every single item entering the prison yard will be written on your Visitor’s Pass and thoroughly searched at two places – the External Search area and the Internal Search area.
If you bring hot food, pastries, soft drinks, gari, etc., you the visitor are mandated to taste every edible item in front of the officers before it is handed over to the prisoner. This is for security reasons.
5. Language Must Be Understood: Visits are conducted in the presence of a Prison Officer (Male or Female). And you can only speak a language that the Visiting Supervisor understands. That is English or any local dialect that the officer understands. You cannot speak a coded language that the officer does not understand.
WHAT YOU CANNOT TALK ABOUT
The Prison Officer supervising the visit has a duty to listen. And by law, he must stop you if you discuss:
– Matters of revenge
– Plans of escape
– Plans of future crimes
– Any irregularities
The officer is mandated to prevent any irregularities during the visit.
FINAL ADVICE
If you have a relative in any prison in Ghana – Kumasi Central, Ankaful, Nsawam, Tamale, or Sunyani – remember:
Go on weekdays, not Sunday. Go with your Ghana Card. Buy a small item but be ready for it to be searched and tasted. Don’t try to hug the prisoner. Don’t whisper about how to escape.
The prison is a correctional facility, not a place for planning more crime.
As Corporal Agyemfra says, the rules are there to protect both the prisoner, the visitor, and the public.
Alexander Afriyie, supervising editor, ghanacrimereport.com and ghanatalk.com