In Liberia, it is an open secret of overcrowding at all prison facilities across the Country including, The Nation’s biggest, the Monrovia Central Prison.
Overcrowding , Already recognized and acknowledged by those in the sector as one of the major challenges facing the justice system, but practical approach or steps to have it addressed remains a problem for duty bearers.
At the same time , the need to further improved prison facilities across the Country can’t be over- emphasized.
In the wake of these challenges, It takes an individual to begin the process of sustained advocacy especially for those who are in prisons for lesser offenses or crimes in a drive to help decongest those facilities.
Getting first hand experience of the condition at prison facilities was former Presidential Aide to former President George Weah, Sekou Kalasco Damaro.
Sekou who spent fewer time at the Monrovia central Prison explained how poor these facilities are and there need for improvement including advocating to release some people for lesser offenses and or crimes.
“This guy in the picture was the CIC in the cell that I was placed in at the central prison and they were very good to me while being illegally detained by the government through Gregory Coleman, the police director”, Sekou stated via his Facebook page.
According to him while in detention, he promised many of them that upon his release he was going to help in securing some of them from prison and today is just the beginning of more to do.
“We have started the process and gradually we will keep making efforts to secure many of them released, especially those that are there for little or nothing”, he reassured them.
Sekou indicated that the campaign he has embarked upon is especially for those that were incarcerated for money they owed, others for fighting cases, among others.
He promised to use the rule of law in ensuring that inmates with lesser offenses or crimes are released and reunited with their families.
As he embarked upon such key campaign, it is key for civil society organizations to join the campaign in raising more awareness in order to address the old age issue of overcrowding at prison facilities across the Country including the massive improvements of them.
Meanwhile, there have been efforts made as well as advocacies for overcrowding at prison facilities by some civil society organizations including other activists but the problem still exist with little or no action taken by relevant authorities while the condition continues to worsen over time across the Country.