By Politico Staff Writer
Chief Minister, Jacob Jusu Saffa has urged stakeholders at the Correctional Centre in Freetown to expedite the relocation process of the Pademba Road facility to Songo just outside Freetown.
The maximum security prison was established on the 14th March 1914, by British colonial government to hold 324 inmates. The facility now accommodates over 2,000 inmates, which rights groups have repeatedly denounced.
According to the Director-General of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service (SLCS), Ahmed Turay, there are 4,478 inmates nationwide with 1,888 convictions, 1,391 on remand, 106 condemned, 1,027 on trial and 29 serving life in prison.
Rights groups have been advocating for a facelift of the Correctional facility on Pademba Road.
Chief Minister Saffa said the relocation of the Correctional Centre was long overdue taking into consideration the high intake of inmates. He urged the Director General to have an accurate filing system that will aid his office with the necessary timeline on a roadmap that he said could be achieved in two weeks time.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online (29/07/21)
