Freetown Central Prison
.jpg)
Freetown Central Prison, commonly known as Pademba Road Prison, is a prison on Pademba Road in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The prison was built to house 220 prisoners in the pre-independence era and now holds around 2,000 prisoners. Many prisoners were subject to prolonged stays in holding cells because of a massive backlog in court cases.
History
Formal incarceration resulting from criminal offences in
The present Freetown Central Prison, located on Pademba Road, was founded on 14 March 1914, by the
In 2010, a number of high security prisoners, including those convicted of murder and armed robbery, escaped from the prison, precipitating a manhunt.[2] Prison officers claimed an official figure of 19 escapees, although some eye witnesses claimed the number was 30.[2] The escapees were armed with a pistol, which they fired close to the prison's main gate, causing the guards to flee. They then escaped through the main gate, during the day.[2] National director of jails, Moses Showers, was sacked following the break out and 18 people, including prison officers, were arrested.[2]
In 2013, with the prison population sitting at over 1000, against a design capacity of just 300 inmates, the government initiated proposals to relocate it.[3]
References
- ^ a b c d Sesay, Alusine (2014). "Prisons Dept. to celebrate Pademba Road prison centenary anniversary". Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
- ^ a b c d BBC News (6 December 2010). "Sierra Leone: Murderers escape in daytime jail break". Retrieved 6 November 2016.
- ^ Sierra News Media (27 March 2013). "Sierra Leone's Maximum Pademba Road Prison to be relocated – good news at last!". Retrieved 6 November 2016.
- "Fighting for Rights in Sierra Leone" by Open Society in West Africa, 2006
- "Report of the High Commissioner on Sierra Leone" 2001, United Nations