A/HRC/31/57/Add.2 based groups are active, with the former planning to set-up halfway houses for returning prisoners, are welcome. 39. One block visited housed around 615 persons, mixing remand detainees and convicted prisoners. The numbers of prisoners in all the cells far exceeded the number of available beds, with 40 prisoners sleeping in a cell with only 20 beds, which were arranged in extremely cramped bunks, in one case. Those without access to beds sleep on the floor on thin sheets or blankets. Cells are locked from 4:30 PM to 6 AM daily, and electricity access, if it exists at all, is sporadic. The Special Rapporteur also heard troubling reports of water shortages, including the fact that donated water pipes were broken and never repaired. 40. Inmates’ most common complaints concerned excessively long sentences and time spent on remand, with some reporting periods of up to five, six, or seven – and in two cases, 10 and 14 – years on remand. One prisoner reported having only been brought before a judge once during three years on remand. Another reported having spent 8 years in prison following a conviction for stealing from his employer on the basis of a forced confession, and then explained that prisoners are left to “grow old” in the system and that they begin to “act out” due to a pervasive sense of hopelessness and frustration. The Special Rapporteur met a 79-year old inmate who was blind and relied on his fellow prisoners for assistance with all of his needs. Although some were aware of the possibility of lodging complaints with the prison authorities, they reported that no meaningful action was taken in response. 41. Ankaful Maximum Security Prison was commissioned in 2011 to remedy overcrowding by housing prisoners serving long sentences (i.e., 20 – 125 years), usually for first class felonies. At the time of the visit, it housed 888 prisoners, including 65 foreigners, at about 44% capacity of its 2,000 person occupancy level. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the growth in operational capacity since November 2013, when only 343 inmates were housed at the facility. He learned that the second phase of the building of Ankaful has commenced, and is expected to be completed in two years’ time. The Government is prioritizing the construction of new housing for officers, which is required to allow for the housing of additional inmates. Authorities aim to achieve a ratio of 500 officers to 2,000 inmates. There are currently only 130 officers stationed in Ankaful. It remains imperative that the second phase of construction be completed in a reasonable time. 42. Prisoners’ movement is restricted to their blocks, which feature open yards. Inmates have access to the common yard three times per week, for a minimum of 2 to 3 hours. Although each of the 9 or 10 inmates housed in each cell visited had beds, the minimum standards for personal living space per prisoner are not being met, and prisoners complained of not having sufficient ventilation. Separate washing facilities reportedly exist for Muslim prisoners. The authorities stated that one paralegal and one prison officer assist prisoners with drafting appeals and submissions to courts, although the frequency and regularity of their services could not be ascertained. Regrettably, the facility is already showing some signs of deterioration, despite its recent construction and its operation at less than 50% capacity. Food 43. The Special Rapporteur recalls the fact that in 2012 the Government raised the food budget threefold to provide for GH¢ 1.80 (.45 US cents) per inmate per day, and welcomes the President’s indication that the Government is prepared to review this allocation “in due 12