President John Dramani Mahama has granted amnesty to nine hundred and ninety-eight prisoners across Ghana’s correctional facilities. The decision, announced on August 18, 2025, was made upon the recommendation of the Prisons Service Council and in consultation with the Council of State, exercising the presidential prerogative of mercy under Article 72(1) of the 1992 Constitution.
Spokesperson to the President and Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu in a statement said the amnesty covers inmates in seven categories. A total of 787 first-time offenders, would be released, while 87 prisoners currently under sentence of death will have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment, while 51 inmates serving life sentences will have their terms reduced to a definite 20-year sentence.
According to the statement, humanitarian considerations formed a significant aspect of the decision. Thirty-three seriously ill prisoners and thirty-six inmates seventy years and above, irrespective of their offence, are included in the amnesty. Two nursing mothers are also beneficiaries. Additionally, clemency was granted to two prisoners based on specific petitions. The President approved 998 out of the One Thousand and Fourteen inmates recommended for amnesty by the Prisons Service Council. The Presidential pardon is in line with constitutional mercy provisions aimed at addressing prison congestion and specific humanitarian cases.
