JUSTICE SECTOR SUPPORT ACTIVITY TEAM MEETS DIRECTOR GENERAL OF PRISONS

As part of efforts to engage more stakeholders in the criminal justice chain on the importance of the Case Tracking System (CTS) in enhancing efficient justice delivery in Ghana, the USAID Ghana Justice Sector Support Activity implementation team has paid a courtesy call on the Director General of the Ghana Prisons Service, DGP Patrick Missah. The implementing partners, comprising the Legal Resource Centre, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative and Crime Check Foundation are being supported by USAID to strengthen the CTS through citizen engagement, empowerment and amplification of citizens’ voices demand accountability and improved justice delivery services for the Ghanaians engagement with the Prisons Service has become necessary because of the critical role it plays in Ghana’s criminal justice system. Welcoming the team, the Director General of Prisons, Mr. Patrick Missah indicated his happiness with the introduction of the CTS technology. He said the Prisons Service will collaborate with the team and other civil society organizations to improve justice services delivery in Ghana.

On her part, the Executive Director of the Legal Resource Centre and Chief of Party of the Activity, Ms Daphne Nabila Lariba said the team will collaborate effectively with the Prisons Service and other justice sector institutions to ensure that infractions of the law are curtailed and  utilization of paralegal services and alternative dispute resolution mechanisams are increased.

Background:  In 2018, the Government of Ghana launched the first integrated Criminal Justice Case Tracking System (CTS) in collaboration with the GOG’s Judicial Service, the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General’s Department, the Legal Aid Commission, the Economic and Organized Crime Office, the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Prisons Service. Ghana’s CTS promotes inter-agency collaboration and information-sharing through the development of an integrated case tracking system to support the GOG in effectively investigating and prosecuting criminal cases. The CTS is operational in seven regions, namely the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Northern, Bono, Upper East, Volta & Western regions.  The USAID Justice Sector Support JSS activity, therefore, seeks to strengthen the utilization of the CTS by stakeholders and provide support to civil society organizations and citizens to strengthen advocacy on accountability of key justice sector institutions to improve justice delivery.