By: Joseph Momoh, Reporter D.S
Bombali District, Northern Sierra Leone — The Minister of Internal Affairs, Morie Lengor, recently visited the Mafanta Correctional Facility, accompanied by the Director General of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service (SLCS), Joseph Senesie, and his deputy, Susan Coker.
The visit included a tour of the facility’s agricultural projects and vocational workshops, where inmates engage in farming and livestock rearing. The objective was to encourage greater inmate involvement in agriculture, thereby supporting food self-sufficiency at the facility and aligning with the government’s broader Feed Salone initiative.
SLCS Director General Joseph Senesie highlighted the progress inmates have made in agriculture, noting their active participation in crop cultivation and livestock management, including a piggery and a cattle ranch. However, he emphasized the urgent need for increased funding to facilitate mechanized farming, which would enhance productivity and ensure long-term sustainability.
Additionally, the minister inspected the proposed site for the relocation of the overcrowded Pademba Road Prison. The new site, located in Rolako Village, has been generously donated by Paramount Chief Bai Makari and is expected to house a modern correctional facility with improved infrastructure and reduced operating costs.
Integrating agricultural programs within correctional facilities provides inmates with valuable opportunities to acquire practical skills, contribute to their own welfare, and alleviate the financial burden on the state.
Expanding such initiatives, particularly in more spacious environments like Mafanta, has the potential to transform prisons from overcrowded holding centers into hubs of rehabilitation. Experts believe that relocating Pademba Road Prison to Rolako will not only ease severe overcrowding but also create a modern facility equipped to support farming and vocational training. This shift represents a significant step toward establishing a more humane, productive, and self-reliant correctional system in Sierra Leone.
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