Jonathan Osei Owusu
Perfector of Sentiments Foundation (POS), a non-governmental organisation is calling for the urgent development and passage of the necessary legislative instrument to operationalise the recently passed Community Service Bill and ensure its effective implementation nationwide.
The Foundation which played a leading role in advancing the Community Service reform is also calling on the public to embrace the principles of restorative justice by supporting, rather than stigmatising, persons sentenced to community service.
“Successful reintegration depends not only on sound legislation but also on communities willing to offer second chances, encourage accountability, and foster positive behavioural change,” POS Foundation said in a statement signed by its founder and Executive Director, Jonathan Osei Owusu.
Parliament on July 8 passed the Community Service Bill, 2026, as an alternative to custodial sentencing for some specified criminal offences.
POS Foundation notes that the enactment of this Bill reflects Ghana’s continued commitment to building a more humane, effective, and restorative justice system, one that prioritises rehabilitation, promotes offender reintegration, and enhances public safety.
This alternative sentencing law, once implemented, will empower courts to exercise the discretion to impose a community service order as alternative to custodial sentence for eligible persons convicted of specified offences punishable by terms of imprisonment of less than three years.
This is expected to reduce prison overcrowding, promote the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders, prevent low-risk offenders from becoming hardened criminals through unnecessary incarceration, reduce the financial burden of imprisonment on the State, and strengthen restorative justice by enabling offenders to make meaningful contributions to their communities.
Tracing back on the 20-year journey that led to the enactment, POS Foundation outlined the key role it played in advancing the Community Service reform agenda from concept to legislation.
“The legislative journey of the Community Service Bill demonstrates commendable bipartisan commitment to criminal justice reform. While substantial preparatory work was undertaken under the previous administration, the current Government successfully secured Cabinet approval, laid the Bill before Parliament, and worked closely with the Parliamentary Select Committee on Defence and Interior throughout the legislative process, culminating in its successful passage,” the statement said.
For many years, POS Foundation has remained at the forefront of efforts to improve Ghana’s criminal justice system through evidence-based advocacy and practical interventions.
Notably, the Foundation has facilitated the ‘Justice for All Programme’ which has contributed to significantly reducing the remand population from 33% in 2007 to currently 12.8% as per records from the Ghana Prisons Service.
By Gibril Abdul Razak