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A fresh bill to amend sections of the Criminal and Other Offenses (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30) has been introduced in Parliament by Mr. Francis-Xavier Sosu, the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Madina Constituency in the Greater Accra region.
The new bill aims to substitute community service and a Bond of Good Behaviour for the customary jail terms and fines for minor offenses.
The bill was introduced on Wednesday, December 20, 2023, by Mr. Sosu.
The Member of Parliament stated in a statement regarding the Act’s amendment that community service, also known as the Bond of Good Behaviour, would enable criminals to give their time and energy to organizations or projects that focus on the community in order to address the fallout from their actions, encourage rehabilitation, and improve community well-being overall.
Hon Sosu explained that “In the first place, this proposal provides an alternative to Custodial Sentence and Fines: Community service and Bond of Good behaviour serve as an alternative to traditional forms of punishment, such as imprisonment or payment of fines.
It allows offenders to remain in the community while still being held accountable for their actions. This also helps to decongest the prisons. As at December 2023, Ghana’s prison population stands at 13,200 despite an authorized capacity of 9,945 giving an overcrowding rate of 32.65 percent.
An introduction of Community Service would go a long way to resolve this challenge.
Again, with the punishment evolving, Restorative Justice is currently the way to go: Community service and Bond of Good behaviour are a perfect example of restorative justice where the community turns to benefit directly from offenders. Through the unpaid services to the community, offenders are given the opportunity to repair the harm they caused to individuals or the community, fostering a sense of responsibility and accountability.”
In the context of criminal justice, community service is a type of alternative sentencing or punishment in which offenders complete unpaid labor or community service in exchange for a reduced sentence.
It can take many different forms, such as volunteering in community centers, clearing up public areas, taking part in environmental projects, helping with social services, or carrying out other community-beneficial activities.
Conversely, a bond of good behavior usually refers to a requirement or condition imposed by a court on a person who has engaged in criminal activity.
This requirement, which is frequently included in a sentence, is meant to guarantee that the offender acts sensibly and lawfully for the duration of the given time.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
