Freetown, 19th December 2024 –The 2024 audit report has flagged worsening conditions across Sierra Leone’s correctional centres, raising concerns about inmate welfare, staff safety, and the credibility of the justice system.
The report, covering the 2024 review period, revealed that facilities nationwide are holding far more inmates than they were designed to accommodate, with the Freetown Male Correctional Centre standing out as the most extreme case. Built to house 324 inmates, the facility currently holds 1,624 prisoners, five times its intended capacity.
The Female Correctional Centre at New England Ville, designed for 18 inmates, now holds 67, while the Pre-trial Correctional Centre at Waterloo, built for 110, is housing 271. “We observed from physical verification that the centres were grossly overcrowded, mostly with minor offenders,” the report stated.
Auditors warned that such overcrowding could expose inmates to heightened health risks, particularly infectious diseases, and make disorderly behaviour or violence difficult to contain given the limited number of personnel. They recommended that the Director-General of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service consult with judiciary stakeholders to reform remand and sentencing practices, with the aim of depopulating the centres and reducing costs to government.
Another example of worsening conditions is seen at the Male Correctional Centre in Kenema, Eastern Region. Cells built for four inmates were found to be housing as many as ten. “We found 10 inmates in a cell built to accommodate only four,” the audit team noted, adding that the issue had been raised in the previous year but remained unresolved.
Auditors documented the deteriorating state of bedding, with worn-out mattresses forcing some inmates to sleep on cardboards. Floor mats were unavailable, leaving prisoners exposed to extreme cold during the rainy season.
Food supply delays compounded the crisis. Monthly requisitions showed an average delay of two months in 2024, while flour supplies for bread production had not been received since November. Correctional staff admitted they were forced to rely on local suppliers, often on credit, to sustain inmate feeding. “The situation has severely strained operations,” the audit team wrote.
The report recommended that the Regional Commanders liaise with the Director General in Freetown for immediate intervention, and urged collaboration between the Correctional Services, Judiciary, and Police to reduce overcrowding.
