Sierra Leone’s Chief Minister, David Moinina Sengeh, has pledged to pay fines for 47 inmates at the Pujehun Correctional Center after witnessing severe overcrowding during a recent visit.
The facility, originally designed for 1,914 inmates, is currently operating beyond its intended capacity.
Sengeh expressed concern over the conditions, highlighting that many of the inmates are incarcerated simply because they cannot afford to pay fines imposed at their conviction.
“The center is crowded with people who are only there because they are poor,” Sengeh said, adding that about 90% of the inmates are young people.
The Chief Minister also noted that while the government of President Julius Maada Bio has passed the new Criminal Procedure Act to address such injustices, more urgent action is needed.
“The Bio Administration is a human capital government, and as leaders within the government, we must demonstrate this through our actions,” Sengeh stated.
Sengeh was particularly moved by the plight of inmates who were jailed for fines as low as 200 leones.
“How can someone spend time in prison because they are poor? This is not justice,” he said. He continued, “As a champion of Radical Inclusion, who advocates for a more just society, I immediately committed to paying the fines of all inmates in the Pujehun prison. All fines for the 47 inmates will be paid as they go through appropriate legal procedures to obtain their freedom. That’s the least I could do.”
In addition to paying the fines, Sengeh has called on the authorities to send a judge to the prison to address ongoing cases, some of which have seen inmates awaiting trial for up to two years.
He emphasized the need for swift action, stating, “President Bio often reminds us that justice delayed is justice denied.”
The Chief Minister revealed that similar interventions have been conducted in prisons in Freetown, Kambia, and Kailahun.
“We will not stop until everyone can get access to quality justice,” he vowed.
Sengeh reaffirmed the government’s commitment to its justice sector strategy, which his office closely monitors and coordinates.
“Pujehun is my home. Yes, these actions I take are about government—we believe in human capital—but they are also personal to me, and it’s about the principles and values I have. Listening to one of the prisoners talk, it reaffirmed my faith in our shared humanity and our shared commitment to transforming our individual lives and our collective society,” Sengeh said, promising to deliver tangible results by Christmas.
The Chief Minister was accompanied on his visit by the Secretary to the President, the head of the Correctional Services, two members of Parliament, a district councilor, and several local stakeholders.
