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A government identity outreach at the Sierra Leone Correctional Service headquarters registered 100 inmates for National Identification Numbers (NINs), aiming to improve access to legal identity before their release.
The National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA), in partnership with the Sierra Leone Correctional Service (SLCS), carried out the exercise on Sept. 17 at the Freetown Correctional Facility / SLCS Headquarters as part of International Identity Day activities.
Officials said 100 inmates were captured for NIN registration and enrollment into the national identity system, with National ID cards to be issued free of charge. The government will cover all associated costs.
SLCS Director General Joseph J. Senesie said the initiative reflects ongoing correctional reforms focused on rehabilitation and reintegration rather than custody alone. He said legal identity remains essential for former inmates seeking employment, education, financial services and other opportunities after release.
Senesie added that the exercise builds on earlier biometric registration pilots introduced in 2018 and 2020 to modernise inmate records and improve identity management within correctional facilities.
NCRA Director General Mohamed Mubashir Massaquoi said the outreach is part of efforts to ensure that legal identity remains accessible to all citizens, regardless of circumstance. He said the exercise will also improve coordination between inmate records and the national identity system, reducing cases of inconsistent or multiple identities.
He noted that the government has expanded civil registration services through mobile teams and decentralised registration points to reach underserved communities.
SLCS Deputy Director General Susan B. Koker said some inmates lack formal identification or are recorded under different names, creating challenges for reintegration. She said the national ID system will help standardise identity records and support smoother access to services after release.
Koker also said the correctional service’s inmate earning scheme allows prisoners to work and save income during incarceration. With valid National ID cards, she said, inmates will be able to open bank accounts to securely store earnings until their release.
According to the SLCS, the 100 inmates were drawn from the Male Reintegration Centre, Female Correctional Centre and Pademba Road Correctional Centre. Officials said the group included inmates nearing completion of their sentences, those previously unregistered, and others whose earlier records were incomplete or unverified.
Authorities said the initiative underscores efforts to ensure that persons in custody remain included in Sierra Leone’s national identity system and can transition back into society with the documentation needed to access essential services.
