Freetown, 20 February 2026 – Sierra Leone’s largest prison is facing a health catastrophe that observers describe as a “catastrophic breakdown of human rights, safety, and basic dignity.” A monitoring visit to Pademba Road Correctional Centre has revealed alarming levels of medical neglect, overcrowding, and collapsing infrastructure that threaten the lives of thousands of inmates.
The figures are stark: 97 inmates are HIV-positive, 26 are battling tuberculosis, and 15 lie in a makeshift hospital with only 16 beds—serving more than 1,000 prisoners. In the female unit, more than 200 inmates share just five beds, with only one nurse often on duty. Mental health care is virtually absent, with 11 untreated cases of mental illness recorded.
The crisis is compounded by overcrowding. Built to house 324 inmates, the male facility now holds 1,802 men, with cells designed for one person cramming in up to 13 detainees each. Beyond health, the monitoring team uncovered 76 men and 17 women held without official records, and 385 men and 36 women detained beyond legal limits without charges.
CHRDI, which conducted the visit on February 17, warned that the denial of medical care and basic dignity amounts to a humanitarian emergency. “This is a breeding ground for disease, despair, and injustice,” the organization stressed.
Civil society groups are sounding the alarm, urging urgent government intervention to restore medical services, reduce overcrowding, and uphold the rule of law. For inmates trapped inside, the numbers are not just statistics—they represent a daily struggle for survival in conditions described as “death traps” rather than centers of rehabilitation.
