Max is volunteering with us on a Criminology and Law programme in Ghana with us as we speak! Hear about his first week in Ghana below.
First Impressions of Ghana
This is my first visit to Ghana so I didn’t have any expectations on what to expect and I arrived completely open minded hoping to learn and experience a new and different culture to mine. My first week in Ghana has been very pleasant and I have felt very welcomed, by not only the team I am working with: but also by strangers I have met along the way; including the Uber drivers; and the people at the accommodation. In particular on my visit to the Kwame Nkrumah Museum – a man sat at the entrance with a guitar singing quite a humorous song. Singing to us upon our arrival and departure set a very welcoming and happy advent for Ghana and its people as a whole.
I have also enjoyed diving into the local cuisine, trying many different dishes that are all full of flavour and spice.
This is also my first first time being abroad for an extensive period of time and connecting with a local community and experiencing a different way of life. Not only am I thoroughly enjoying my experience thus far, but I also feel I am learning a lot about life and about myself.
Volunteering and Learning with the Criminology Projects
The placement commenced in July 2024 and throughout the first week I have gained a personal insight into the work the organisation aims to achieve and how this is sought after: including their petty offenders project; ex-convict project; and a new project currently in the works – focusing on aiding inmates that struggle with substance abuse. My first week has also included visits outside of the office, to help me gain a wider understanding and improve my knowledge of the criminal justice system here in Ghana. This has comprised of a visit to the high court to watch the process of a case going through the court system, and also having briefing with a high ranking police officer, which was very insightful.
One of the organisation’s priorities is to help reform the prison system through the success of their projects. During my first week I’ve learned about the deep rooted problems with Ghana’s prisons and criminal justice system: which has led to extreme cases of overcrowding within prisons. For example, one facility houses 4000 inmates when it has a maximum capacity of 100. This in turn leads to knock on effects that cause a great risk for health and safety violations. Prisoners are forced to sleep on the floor, lying next to each other on their sides, packed in like sardines in a tin. This leads to prisoners having to almost compete and fight in order to use the toilet, which itself is unsanitary and has little to no privacy.
With that there is an absence of non-custodial law in Ghana, which the organisation is actively trying to change by attempting to pass a new bill in government. This means that those who cannot afford to pay fines imposed on them by the court are imprisoned – essentially criminalising poverty. The organisation’s ‘Petty Offenders Project’ helps to rectify this issue by paying fines for inmates imprisoned on petty offences. Also, the lack of a non-custodial law leads to petty offenders being imprisoned with more serious offenders, which risks reoffending. Whereas if a community sentence was imposed, not only would this ease congestion but also help lower reoffending. This will also help with the decongestion of prisons, which can help reduce the previously mentioned knock on effects caused by the overcrowding. The overcrowding is caused by several factors that include the lack of non-custodial law, as well as long wait times for trials, leading to inmates being on remand for prolonged periods of time. Some inmates have been on remand for eight years.
Making a Difference in the Community
Additionally I have learned about a local breast cancer foundation, who also do incredible work visiting schools, villages and churches – educating and providing an insight into the early symptoms, potential risk factors and advice on how to seek the correct medical help in regards to breast cancer. Within Ghana, there is a current lack of knowledge and education regarding breast cancer. On every visit, the foundation also provides a free screening service. They provide funding to help pay for any hospital treatment or any transport necessary. In one particular case, a mother unfortunately passed away and the foundation provided transport for her child to get to school safely.
Hopes for the Rest of the Volunteering Abroad Experience…
Having been here for a week now and spoken to everyone within the office and feeling as if I have settled in, my expectations and excitement is high for the coming weeks. I’m hoping to continue my out of office visits, including multiple to the High Court in order to establish a deep understanding of the court system as a whole. Also, to visit a prison, so I can obtain a first hand insight and experience of the sickening conditions inmates face. I also hope to visit the Legal Aid Commission and potentially visit the Criminal Investigative Department to help me gain a wider understanding of the system in place and how it operates. I also wish to speak with an ex-convict to learn about their personal experience with the justice system and the prison system. Within the future weeks whilst I am here I also hope to get involved and work with the team in the office, for example, helping Rudolph write a news story or helping with admin and office work. Having learned about new projects – including helping inmates and those who struggle with substance abuse – I would like to learn more regarding the details of these projects and if in any way I can help to work on them.
Watch this space to keep up with Max and all of his adventures on his programme in Ghana!
