By Crispina Cummings
Don Bosco Fambul, a child protection organisation in Freetown, has promised to embark on an extended service to provide legal support to young prisoners in the country.
Its director, Brother Lothar Wagner, told journalists on Friday that they would join efforts with Caritas to seek justice for young prisoners. He said the move was significant “because it would help provide legal aid to under-aged and marginalised youngsters at the Pademba Road central prison”.
Wagner said the project would prepare prisons across the country to be correctional and function as rehabilitation centres for especially youngsters.
He said their first project for prisons would be implemented after the rainy season and that it would include the provision of tap water, 50 toilets and shower rooms.
He complained that prisons had kept people for “three to four years without going to court because there are no files for them.”
Ransford Williams, head of inmates in the Western Area, said the “three-year relationship with Don Bosco and Caritas has been worthwhile.” He said the organisations had made things simple for them in taking care of the 1,900 inmates.
He said Don Bosco had provided them with bore holes, a daily lunch, and medical assistance for sick inmates, adding that pregnant and other inmates at the Lakka Hospital and mental homes would need care and attention, which Caritas and Don Bosco had helped provide.
Father Peter Conteh, Director of Caritas, expressed delight saying Caritas and Don Bosco shared the same mission and vision and assured that their idea was not to make offenders feel good of themselves.
“Our point is not to encourage criminals but to give everyone a chance of justice,” Father Conteh said, adding that both organisations were complimenting the efforts of government.
(C) Politico 02/09/14
