This table provides metadata for the actual indicator available from Ghana statistics closest to the corresponding global SDG indicator. Please note that even when the global SDG indicator is fully available from Ghana statistics, this table should be consulted for information on national methodology and other Ghana-specific metadata information.
| Goal |
Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels |
|---|---|
| Target |
Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all |
| Indicator |
Indicator 16.3.2: Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population |
| Definition and concepts |
Definition: The total number of persons held in detention who have not yet been sentenced, as a percentage of the total number of persons held in detention, on a specified date. Concepts: ‘Sentenced’ refers to persons subject to criminal proceedings who have received a decision from a competent authority regarding their conviction or acquittal. For the purposes of the indicator, persons who have received a ‘non-final’ decision (such as where a conviction is subject to appeal) are considered to be ‘sentenced’. |
| Unit of measure |
Percentage (%) |
| Data sources |
Ghana Prisons Service Annual Report, 2019 |
| Data providers |
Ghana Prisons Service |
| Rationale |
The indicator signifies overall respect for the principle that persons awaiting trial shall not be detained in custody unnecessarily. This, in turn, is premised on aspects of the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. From a development perspective, extensive use of pre-sentence detention when not necessary for reasons such as the prevention of absconding, the protection of victims or witnesses, or the prevention of the commission of further offences, can divert criminal justice system resources, and exert financial and unemployment burdens on the accused and his or her family. Measuring the relative extent to which pre-sentence detention is used can provide the evidence to assist countries in lowering such burdens and ensuring its proportionate use. |
| Method of computation |
The total number of unsentenced persons held in detention divided by the total number of persons held in detention, on a specified date. |
| Data availability and disaggregation |
There is no available disaggregation for this indicator. |
| Metadata last updated | Nov 11, 2022 |