Communicating Justice

Freetown, Sierra Leone, July 28, 2008 -- A new prison wing especially for female prisoners has opened at Kenema Prison, in the East of Sierra Leone. The move comes as part of a commitment to improving the standards for female prisoners in the country.

Built with funds from the Justice Sector Development Program, it’s hoped the new prison wing will improve the welfare of female inmates.

The prison is the first of its kind in the country to separate male and female inmates. 

Prison Officer Ibrahim Kamara, who is based at the Pademba Road Prison in Freetown, welcomed the new construction, saying that female prisoners often have to live in very poor conditions. He said ''The construction of this facility was as a result of the fact that most of the prisons are over crowded with poor facilities and that female prisoners bear the brunt from male prisoners.”

Civil Society Activist, Aminata Fofana, has called on the government to do more to improve conditions for women inside prison. She said “Placing women in poor hygiene facilities and overcrowded cells affects their human rights''.

The project was funded by the UK's Department for International Development (DFID).