The Minister for the Interior, Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has called on Parliament to pass a parole regulation to complement the Community Service Bill, 2026, saying it is essential to achieving the goal of decongesting prisons.

According to him, the proposed law would remain incomplete without a legal framework for parole.

“This Community Service Bill, if passed into law, will still remain incomplete if we are not able to get the parole regulation passed. That is what will complement the bill and help us decongest our prisons effectively,” he explained.

The bill seeks to reform the criminal justice system by introducing non-custodial sentencing for minor offences. It also provides for the establishment of a National Community Service Secretariat.

Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak made the remarks during debate on the Defence and Interior Committee’s report on the bill, presented to Parliament by the committee chairman, Mr James Agalga.

He disclosed that the Ministry for the Interior was working with the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General to finalise the proposed parole regulation, which would soon be laid before Parliament.

The Interior Minister also called for stricter controls on police remand under the ongoing constitutional review process, arguing that the system was often abused.

“With the least provocation, they say they’ve remanded somebody. Sometimes they impose bail conditions people cannot meet,” he said, adding that government wanted constitutional reforms to curb unnecessary remand.

On funding, he explained that five per cent of the District Assemblies Common Fund, with 25 per cent allocated to the proposed National Community Service Secretariat, would support implementation of the bill.

He further stated that offenders sentenced to three years or less could qualify for community service under the proposed law.

The Majority Leader, Mr Mahama Ayariga, urged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to support the initiative, noting that community service could provide labour for activities such as weeding, sanitation and infrastructure projects at the district level.