The Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI) has called for urgent government intervention over alleged prolonged detention, overcrowding and inadequate healthcare at two correctional centres in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
In a press release dated 19 October 2026, the organisation said its findings followed a monitoring visit on 14 October to the Freetown Male Correctional Centre at Pademba Road and the New England Female Correctional Centre.
CHRDI reported that Pademba Road held 2,016 inmates against an original capacity of 324. It also alleged a discrepancy at the female facility, where official records listed 184 inmates but its monitors counted more than 200 detainees.
The organisation raised concerns about lengthy detention and delayed trials. Its report listed 481 male detainees held without indictment, 108 inmates associated with cases stalled since 2016, and 172 remand detainees awaiting committal since 2020.
CHRDI further alleged that 20 preventable deaths had occurred since March 2026, including 13 within correctional facilities and seven in hospital. It linked the deaths to severe anaemia, malnutrition, untreated infections and inadequate medical care.
The organisation also reported 18 active tuberculosis cases without clinical isolation and raised concerns about access to treatment for inmates living with HIV and people requiring mental healthcare.
At the female centre, CHRDI said monitors found seven infants and toddlers living with their mothers in custody, including three reportedly born during confinement. It called for their transfer, alongside their mothers, to appropriate welfare and maternal healthcare facilities.
“Deprivation of lawful liberty does not strip any human being of their inherent constitutional and human rights,” CHRDI Chief Executive Abdul M. Fatoma said.
Among its recommendations, CHRDI called for an independent audit of inmate registers, urgent judicial reviews of prolonged detention, improved medical services and alternatives to imprisonment for minor offences. It also urged better ambulance provision and improved welfare support for correctional officers.
The allegations have not been independently verified for this article. The supplied press release contains no response from the Sierra Leone Correctional Service or the other authorities concerned.
Salone Messenger
