Sierra Leone: A Country Review of Crime and Criminal Justice, 2008 African Human Security Initiative

This report chapter examines the state of the prison system in Sierra Leone as of 2008-2009, detailing systemic failures in human rights, infrastructure, and legal processes. It highlights severe overcrowding, poor medical care, and a lack of legal representation, while noting that the Prisons Service lacks the funding and human resources to comply with international standards despite government efforts to renovate facilities.

• Sierra Leone's prisons suffered from severe overcrowding and appalling living conditions, with a national overcrowding rate of 112 per cent at the time of research. The most critical conditions were found at the Maximum Prison at Pademba Road in Freetown and prisons in Bo, Makeni, and Kenema, where inmates faced bed bug infestations, skin diseases like scabies, and a lack of mosquito protection.
• The efficiency of the Prisons Service is severely hindered by the legal system, specifically through long trial delays, excessive adjournments, and unaffordable bail. Approximately 54 per cent of the prison population consists of remand and trial prisoners, some of whom have been incarcerated since 1999 or 2002 without resolution.
• Prisoners face critical health risks due to inadequate medical facilities, poor hygiene, and a lack of specialized care. Common ailments include malaria, pneumonia, and various infections, while the Makeni prison reportedly used Panadol as the primary treatment for almost all reported illnesses. Furthermore, provincial prisons often lack vehicles to transport critically ill prisoners to referral hospitals.
• There is a systemic lack of legal representation for inmates, particularly in provincial areas. About 92 per cent of interviewed sentenced prisoners had no legal counsel during their trials, with poverty and ignorance cited as primary causes. While NGOs provide some aid to juveniles, the absence of government-supported legal aid leaves many accused at the mercy of police prosecutors and Justices of the Peace.
• The Prisons Service is plagued by administrative and financial failures, including ridiculously low salaries for officers and irregular budgetary disbursements. As of June 20, 2008, the service had not received its second-quarter budget allocation, and the lack of a departmental accounting system prevents funds from going directly to the administration.
• Sierra Leone's prison regulations frequently conflict with international standards, specifically the UN Standard Minimum Rules (UNSMR). These contradictions include the use of solitary confinement in dark cells, the denial of exercise for those in solitary confinement, the use of penal diets without medical certification, and the legality of corporal punishment.
• While female prisoners are generally kept in separate cells, they are not fully segregated in recreational areas or bathrooms, and their specific hygiene and maternal health needs are largely unmet. Only the Central Prison in Freetown provides basic clothing and undergarments for women.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2009). Sierra Leone: A Country Review of Crime and Criminal Justice, 2008 African Human Security Initiative. https://issafrica.org/topics/crime-and-criminal-justice/01-may-2009-monograph-no-160-sierra-leone.-a-country-review-of-crime-and-criminal-justice-2008-african-human-security-initiative/chapter-4-prisons

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Sierra Leone: A Country Review of Crime and Criminal Justice, 2008 African Human Security Initiative. 2009. https://issafrica.org/topics/crime-and-criminal-justice/01-may-2009-monograph-no-160-sierra-leone.-a-country-review-of-crime-and-criminal-justice-2008-african-human-security-initiative/chapter-4-prisons.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Sierra Leone: A Country Review of Crime and Criminal Justice, 2008 African Human Security Initiative |date=1 May 2009 |url=https://issafrica.org/topics/crime-and-criminal-justice/01-may-2009-monograph-no-160-sierra-leone.-a-country-review-of-crime-and-criminal-justice-2008-african-human-security-initiative/chapter-4-prisons |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2009sierra, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Sierra Leone: A Country Review of Crime and Criminal Justice, 2008 African Human Security Initiative}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2009}, month = may, url = {https://issafrica.org/topics/crime-and-criminal-justice/01-may-2009-monograph-no-160-sierra-leone.-a-country-review-of-crime-and-criminal-justice-2008-african-human-security-initiative/chapter-4-prisons}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }