President Mahama Grants Amnesty to Nearly 1,000 Prisoners
President John Mahama has ordered the release of 998 prisoners, following a recommendation from the Prisons Service Council and consultations with the Council of State.
The amnesty, issued under Article 72(1) of the Constitution, was announced on Monday, August 18, 2025, and covers a wide spectrum of convicts – from first-time offenders to death row inmates whose sentences have been commuted.
The largest category comprises 787 first-time offenders, while 87 death sentences will be commuted to life imprisonment. A further 51 life sentences will be reduced to 20 years’ definite terms.
Other beneficiaries include 33 seriously ill prisoners, 36 convicts aged over 70, two nursing mothers, and two cases granted clemency through petitions.
Felix Kwakye Ofosu, spokesperson to the President and Minister for Government Communications, confirmed the decision, noting it aligns with ongoing efforts to decongest Ghana’s overcrowded prisons and extend humanitarian relief to vulnerable inmates.
