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The Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Human Rights has raised concerns over conditions at the Female Correctional Centre in New England, Freetown, following an oversight visit to assess the welfare and rights of inmates.
The committee, chaired by Hon. Dr. Unpha Sorie Koroma, visited the facility as part of Parliament’s mandate to monitor correctional institutions and ensure the protection of inmates’ rights and dignity.
During the engagement, female inmates highlighted challenges including overcrowding, inadequate sleeping arrangements, limited medical supplies, and the need for alternative sentencing options for minor offences.
Representatives of the inmates, including Janet Kamara and Female Inmates’ President Zainab Sheriff, appealed to authorities for urgent support, including the provision of beds, mattresses, medicines, and improved healthcare services. They also called for greater attention to drug-related issues and reduced penalties or alternative measures for first-time offenders and those convicted of minor offences.
The committee noted that the challenges reflect broader concerns within Sierra Leone’s correctional system, where overcrowding, limited resources, and pressure on available services remain major issues. The New England Female Correctional Centre has previously been identified as one of the facilities facing capacity constraints.
Members of the committee commended correctional authorities for managing the facility despite existing difficulties, while stressing the need for stronger collaboration between government institutions, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders to improve conditions.
Hon. Dr. Koroma praised civil society groups for supporting inmates through initiatives such as civic education and rehabilitation programmes, while emphasising the importance of community service and other non-custodial measures as alternatives to imprisonment for minor offences.
Other committee members, including Hon. Rev. Soukenah Fatmata Sarah and Hon. Brima Mansaray, stressed the need to protect the rights and welfare of women in detention and encouraged citizens to respect the law.
Opposition Whip Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara expressed concern over the conditions faced by inmates and pledged to support the facility with ten mattresses to improve sleeping arrangements.
The visit forms part of Parliament’s broader oversight efforts to identify challenges within correctional institutions and promote reforms aimed at strengthening human rights standards, rehabilitation, and inmate welfare across Sierra Leone.
