Prison Conditions and the Violation of Incarcerated Women’s Familial Rights in Ghana: A Phenomenological Study

This qualitative phenomenological study examined how prison conditions in Ghana shape women’s experiences of family life and related human rights concerns. In-depth interviews were conducted in 2023 with ten women in custody at Nsawam and Kumasi Female Prisons, ten family members, and four prison officers, and the data were analysed thematically. Three themes emerged: denial of conjugal and relational contact, poor living conditions and gender-insensitive services, and disruptions to family roles with significant mental health and psychosocial consequences. Overall, participants described structural constraints and institutional practices that, in their view, undermined dignity, family integrity, and emotional well-being. The study argues for practical, gender-responsive reforms that strengthen conditions of confinement and safeguard family relationships while recognising Ghana’s resource constraints.