Freetown, Sierra Leone – February 21, 2026 – A prominent human rights organization has exposed severe violations and inhumane conditions in Freetown’s correctional facilities, labeling them a “catastrophic breakdown of human rights, safety, and basic dignity.”
The Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI) released its findings following a monitoring visit on February 17, highlighting unlawful detentions, extreme overcrowding, medical neglect, and failing infrastructure.
The report documents dozens of individuals held in “safe custody” for over four years without indictment. CHRDI identified 76 men and 17 women in custody without official records, alongside 385 men and 36 women detained beyond legal limits without charges. Many lack legal representation, violating Sierra Leone’s Criminal Procedure Act and international standards. Chronic judicial delays exacerbate the issues, with 13 inmates awaiting reserved judgments and 205 facing prolonged adjournments dating back to 2016. Among 29 foreign nationals at the male facility, one died earlier this month without explanation.
Overcrowding remains a persistent problem. The male correctional facility, designed for 324 inmates, now holds 1,802 men, forcing up to 13 people into cells meant for one. This echoes long-standing issues: as early as 2019, the same facility held over 2,000 inmates, and by 2023, it housed 1,820. Nationwide, Sierra Leone’s 20 prisons, with a total capacity of around 2,055, held 4,559 people in 2019, and by February 2024, the figure stood at 4,453. A deadly riot at Pademba Road Correctional Center in April 2020, sparked by overcrowding and COVID-19 restrictions, resulted in 31 fatalities, including one corrections officer and 30 inmates.
Living conditions are dire, with limited access to clean water, food, and sanitation described as “deplorable.” In the female facility, eight infants aged 0-2 live with their mothers. Medical care is inadequate: 97 inmates in the male unit are HIV-positive, 26 have tuberculosis, and a makeshift hospital with only 16 beds serves over 1,000 prisoners. The female unit has just five beds for more than 200 inmates, often staffed by a single nurse. Mental health support is virtually nonexistent, with 11 untreated cases noted. These problems align with broader patterns of poor detention conditions, including corporal punishment, unhygienic environments, and insufficient food and medical access, as reported in recent years.
Security lapses compound the crisis, with non-functional CCTV cameras, scanners, exposed electrical cables, and outdated fire extinguishers posing risks to staff and inmates.
CHRDI’s report comes amid ongoing efforts to address these issues. In September 2025, the Sierra Leone Correctional Service (SLCS) presented its 2026 budget, proposing the recruitment of 1,000 officers, construction of new centers in Kamakwie and Mongo Bendugu, completion of an administrative building in New England, and expansion at Moyamba Correctional Centre to enhance security and rehabilitation. However, CHRDI’s latest findings suggest these plans have yet to alleviate current conditions. A CHRDI review of 2025 highlighted some governance gains but noted high detention numbers—5,861 male and female detainees—while setting an ambitious 2026 agenda for judicial reforms and human rights improvements.
The government and SLCS have not yet issued a formal response to the report. CHRDI urges immediate action: fast-tracking indictments, releasing unlawful detainees, repairing infrastructure, providing essentials like food and medical care, and implementing reforms to reduce overcrowding.
“No nation can claim progress if its correctional facilities remain centres of human degradation,” said Abdul M. Fatoma, CHRDI’s Chief Executive. “Justice must be more than a legislative promise; it must be a functional reality for every Sierra Leonean.”
Advocates hope the report will spur systemic change in Sierra Leone’s justice system, which has faced criticism for illegal detentions and delays in police stations and correctional centers for years.
