BONG COUNTY, Liberia — The Country Director of Prison Fellowship Liberia, Rev. Francis Kollie, has identified inadequate prison infrastructure, overcrowding, and systemic weaknesses as major challenges confronting Liberia’s justice system.
Kollie said the country’s aging prison facilities and limited access to legal representation have contributed to persistent problems within the correctional system, including the risk of prison escapes. PROBE NEWSPAPER REPORTS.
He made the remarks while discussing the conditions of correctional facilities and possible solutions to overcrowding in Liberia.
According to him, some of the country’s prisons have existed for decades and are no longer adequate to accommodate the growing number of inmates.
“Our biggest problems are systemic challenges and infrastructure challenges,” Kollie said, noting that facilities such as the Kakata Central Prison, Gbarnga Central Prison, Monrovia Central Prison, and other prison facilities require significant improvements.
He argued that the age and condition of the facilities have created security concerns, despite efforts by the government, through the Bureau of Corrections and Rehabilitation, to strengthen security and prevent prison escapes.
Kollie cited overcrowding at the Kakata Central Prison as a warning sign, claiming that a facility designed to accommodate approximately 70 inmates was holding more than 300 people.
He said such overcrowding places pressure on existing facilities and increases the risk of security breaches.
Although he condemned prison escapes, Kollie maintained that the government must address the underlying conditions contributing to the problem.
“We don’t support prison escapes, and we condemn them, but we want to say that the government has a lot to do,” he said.
Calls for increased budgetary support
Kollie urged the government to prioritize the justice system during national budget deliberations for 2027, emphasizing that funding should cover not only the judiciary but also correctional facilities and rehabilitation programs.
He called on the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Augustine Ngafuan, to consult institutions and organizations working within the justice sector when preparing budgetary allocations.
According to him, such consultations would help the government better understand the financial and operational needs of correctional institutions and organizations supporting inmates.
Kollie said Prison Fellowship Liberia intends to engage international partners to seek assistance for infrastructure improvements and rehabilitation programs.
He disclosed that the organization hopes to undertake major rehabilitation work at the Kakata Central Prison, including improvements to its physical infrastructure and security systems.
However, he emphasized that government partnership would be essential to achieving those objectives.
The proposed intervention, he said, would focus on creating safer conditions and improving the environment in which inmates are held.
Limited access to legal representation
Addressing the issue of prison overcrowding, Kollie also pointed to the shortage of defense lawyers and the limited reach of programs designed to accelerate court proceedings.
He said the number of prosecutors appears to exceed the availability of defense lawyers, particularly in the lower and upper courts.
Kollie recalled earlier efforts involving the former chief justice, late Johnny Lewis, with the American Bar Association, and law students who served as interns to support legal assistance for inmates in various prisons.
He said similar initiatives could help inmates gain access to legal representation and reduce delays in the justice system.
The Prison Fellowship Liberia director also called for the expansion and more consistent implementation of the magistrate sitting program, which he said has been concentrated largely in Monrovia, with limited extension to other parts of the country.
According to Kollie, the program has not been sufficiently active in some areas, with court sittings sometimes disrupted by transportation problems and the unavailability of lawyers.
He argued that expanding access to regular court proceedings beyond Monrovia could help address delays in the processing of cases and ease overcrowding in correctional facilities.
Kollie stressed that addressing Liberia’s prison challenges requires a comprehensive approach involving infrastructure development, improved security, access to legal representation, and effective rehabilitation programs.
He said cooperation among the government, judicial authorities, civil society organizations, and international partners would be necessary to improve conditions within the country’s correctional system.