By: Problyn J. Alpha
The Southern Regional Media Officer of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service Victor Wilson has said that inmates and Correctional officers were able to properly manage the system amidst numerous challenges they encountered in 2022.
He made the statement when updating our correspondent on the operations of the Regional facilities last year and the new development they have put in place to ensure that the human rights of the inmates are respected and protected according to local and international standards.
Updating the press on the operations of the said correctional facilities in the Southern province of Sierra Leone Victor Willson foremost thanked and appreciated the correctional officers for providing the necessary security needed in 2022 and the inmates for maintaining discipline and order which according to him greatly helped them to overcome 2022 without recording danger or disasters at any of the correctional facilities in the Southern province.
He added that the inmates at the Moyamba Correction facility in 2022 engaged in massive agricultural activities which he considered to be one of the important reasons for the correctional centre. He noted that their improvement in agriculture will improve what he describes as the handling skills of the inmates to enable them to buy some of their wants and wipe off their minds from the idea of still being at correctional facilities whilst reintegrating them back into society.
“We also thanked the management of the Sierra Leone correctional service for their directives and support from 2022 up till date which has enabled us to pass a whole year free of upheavals”, he expressed.
Mr. Wilson maintained that when asked to know what has been put in place to address the looming concern of overcrowding at the various correctional facilities, he replied that it cannot be easily overcome locally or internationally because of the increment in crime rate due to human civilization that has given birth to many crimes, adding that from 2022 to date they have discharged thirteen men and three females totalling the sum of sixteen (16) inmates whose jail terms have ended.
The media man said even though they have discharged sixteen (16) inmates whose jail terms have ended to secure more space, “the number of suspects in Police custody awaiting to be charged to court and later sent to the Correctional facilities, will three times double the number of inmates we have discharged and that will also increase the number of inmates at the various correctional facilities” he explained.
Talking about the welfare of inmates at the correctional facilities, Wilson stated that every inmate at the various correctional centres is taken care of by the Government and the Government is doing extremely well to ensure that their needs are met, and whatever is been sent by the government is what they are using to take care of the inmates.
Whereas, the Southern Regional medical officer of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service further stated that they have recently sent five inmates to Freetown who is presently on medical examination to ascertain if they are mentally stable” every quarter will receive our consignment of drugs from the government to meet the medical status of the inmates and from 2019-2022 we operated more than 40 inmates.”