PHOTO: Rev. Francis Kollie
By Autustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
The leading campaigner for prisoners’ rights in Liberia has expressed serious concern over the “dehumanizing and heart-breaking condition” of inmates at the Monrovia Central Prison.
Prison Fellowship Liberia (PFL) is making an urgent appeal to the United Nations Development Program and the Open Society for West Africa for West Africa (OSIWA) for assistance in seeking the release of a large number of inmates under such condition.
The fellowship’s Country Director, Reverend Francis Kollie disclosed that over 1,400 inmates are now clustered in a facility constructed purposely to host 300 persons.
His appeal comes in the wake of reports of a possible jail break due to the over crowdedness of the main prison in the capital.
Addressing a press conference in Monrovia on Tuesday, Rev. Kollie has also appealed to President George Manneh Weah to pay a visit to the Monrovia Central Prison to observe the situation for himself to the entity is so over crowdedness.
The Liberian rights advocate revealed that some inmates there are sleeping on the bare floor and many in the hallway
According to Rev. Kollie, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Francis Korkpor; House Speaker, Bhofal Chambers and the Senate President Pro Tempore, Albert Chea need to intervene to prevent an outbreak of disease at the Monrovia Central Prison.
The Prison Fellowship’s boss added that a survey conducted by the Ministry of Justice and the Prison Fellowship Liberia, has revealed that over 85 percent of the inmates are pre-trial detainees with some being held as far as 2019, just because of 3,000 Liberian dollars debt. The exchange rate between the Liberian dollars and the US dollars at the time was one US dollar to 180 Liberian dollars.
Rev. Kollie is also appealing to Judges and the Liberia National Police to begin using the alternative resolution mechanism so as to reduce the over crowdedness at the prison.
“These senior officials of the government need to visit the Monrovia Central Prison to see things for themselves where inmates are lying on the floor like piglets sucking their mother breasts,” he said ; asking: “why should fellow Liberians in an inhumane manner in this time and age,?”
“The way I see Liberians and other nationals in a place called prison at this time in Liberia; it is quite disheartening, I am quite alarming, I am disgusted and the situation lacks basic human rights standards and it is not in compliance in accordance international treaties Liberia has signed to,”
The Prison Fellowship Director asserted: “I think the government needs to be serious about the protection about the rights of its people. This is one of the most congested prisons I have ever seen in my advocacy in the prison system. This is the worst that I have ever seen.”
“When one talks about human rights;” he added, “one needs to take into consideration the safety and health of the people. These are some of the things that are painting the negative image of the country to our international partners.”
According to him, corrections officers are overwhelmed by the huge number of inmates because the foods are inadequate,
“I am wondering whether we are having public defenders in Liberia. Something must be done to avoid a jail break.”