Stealing is the topmost offence among inmates serving various sentences at the Sunyani Central Prisons, the Deputy Superintendent of Prisons (DSP), Johann Nii Narh Nartey, the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Prisons Service said on Wednesday.
He said 199 inmates were convicted for stealing, saying many of the convicts were ignorant of the consequences of the crime.
In an interview with Adom News in Sunyani, DSP Nartey said 92 inmates were convicted of defilement while 88 of them were also serving their sentences for armed robbery, saying the majority of the inmates were young people between 17 and 25 years.
He said 17 convicts were also imprisoned for threat of harm, and expressed worry about congestion at the prisons, indicating instead of 450, the prisons contained 865 inmates.
“It is extremely sad the government is spending much on inmates with minor offences and something must be done urgently to tackle the decongestion at the prison,” he said, saying recurring cases of defilement remained worrying.
DSP Nartey said many victims of defilement were between three and four years with perpetrators being relatives and family friends.