{
  "id": 16916219,
  "title": "“The prison is built for human beings, not animals” – Peter Toobu backs Wontumi’s call for reforms",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/28/the-prison-is-built-for-human-beings-not-animals-peter-toobu-backs-16916219",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-28T14:49:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/the-prison-is-built-for-human-beings-not-animals-peter-toobu-backs-wontumis-call-for-reforms/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Wa West MP Peter Toobu has endorsed calls for prison system reforms from Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi. The former NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman has been advocating for sweeping changes in Ghana's prison system, including a dedicated prison hospital, improved welfare for prison officers, and regulated conjugal visits for inmates. Toobu's remarks came as part of a national conversation on prison conditions, emphasizing the need to treat inmates humanely irrespective of their offenses. His comments were featured in a statement by Dr. Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, Toobu's spokesperson, marking his 100 days in detention. Dr. Boakye-Danquah noted that his interactions with Chairman Wontumi have encouraged him to reflect on the state of the Ghana Prisons Service, which he believes has seen minimal structural improvements since its inception in 1962. Wontumi is pushing for a shift from a punishment-focused system to one that prioritizes rehabilitation, welfare, and productivity. Toobu, speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, reiterated that prisons were designed to protect society by keeping offenders away while also reforming them. He stressed that committing a crime does not negate an individual's humanity, and that inmates should be treated with dignity while serving their sentences, stating, \"The prison is built for human beings, not animals. People are sent to prison as a means of reformation and also for public safety because criminals are incapacitated.\"",
  "summary": "The Member of Parliament for Wa West, Peter Lanchene Toobu, has called for a national conversation on prison conditions and the need to ensure that inmates are treated humanely, regardless of the offences for which they are serving sentences. His comments follow former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}