– After short compassionate leave, as she recounts challenges female inmates face in Central Prison
Former Chief Justice Gloria Musu Scott was recently granted compassionate leave from the Monrovia Central Prison by the Ministry of Justice. This decision was made in accordance with Chapter 34.20 of the criminal procedure law of Liberia, which allows for compassionate leave under certain circumstances.
According to our Judicial Reporter, former Chief Justice Scott requested leave to conduct an inventory at her property that was recently burglarized. The Minister of Justice approved her request, allowing her to temporarily leave the prison for this important personal matter.
The rules and regulations governing compassionate leave specify that it may be granted for reasons such as visiting a seriously ill close relative, attending the funeral of a close relative, or returning home for compelling reasons that strongly appeal to compassion. The duration of the leave, custody, transportation, and care of the prisoner during their absence are all outlined in these regulations.
On her return to jail, former Chief Justice Cllr. Gloria Musu Scott, currently serving a life sentence along with her family at the Monrovia Central Prison, formerly known as “South Beach,” has raised concerns about the deplorable conditions faced by inmates, particularly women and girls, in the prison facility. When Womenvoices and other media outlets visited the facility over the weekend, Cllr. Scott emphasized the urgent need for access to clean water within the prison.
The Monrovia Central Prison, which is next to the Atlantic Ocean, was initially built for less than 400. The facility currently occupies about 1,400 inmates. In January 2022, BBC reported on the lack of food, space, and uniforms for inmates at the facility.
During an engagement by the Women Situation Room (WSR), who donated twenty-five bags of rice to the prison on Friday, June 14, 2024, in memory of Charles Sirleaf, son of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Cllr. Scott, enraged and unpleasant, acknowledged the many challenges the prison is confronted with, including the shortage of major necessities.
Cllr. Scott highlighted the importance of addressing the pressing issue of water scarcity within the prison, emphasizing that it is a critical and immediate need. She called on the Liberian government, through the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation, to prioritize the provision of water to the prison facility.
The former chief justice emphasized the challenges faced by inmates, especially women and girls, in accessing water, noting that they often have to endure difficult conditions, including having to come out in the rain to collect water. Cllr. Scott’s plea for adequate water supply reflects the harsh realities faced by inmates and underscores the necessity of addressing basic human needs within the prison system.
Furthermore, Cllr. Scott highlighted the significance of ongoing support and attention to the conditions within the prison, stressing that the donation of rice by the WSR is a vital step in drawing attention to the plight of inmates and encouraging action to improve their living conditions.
“I have not asked anybody but I’m being presumptive to say one of our immediate needs is water. I’m making this plea to the government and partners to come and make an assessment to see how water can be brought in here. It is difficult to get water for the wells here, and we need water. As an inmate, I have to say that because I see what the girls go through to get water. They have to come out in the rain sometimes to access water. We need a lasting solution to water. Water is a serious problem in here.” Cllr Scott stated.
In December 2022, Monrovia central prison which is also the largest in the country, refused to take in new inmates because of overcrowding. The same year, a US State Department human rights report found that the prison was holding 1,426 inmates despite being built to hold just 374. According to the report, there were times when prisoners were required to sleep in shifts due to overcrowding.
A large percentage of inmates are pre-trial detainees who have not been sentenced in court. A UN report found that as of November 2022, 73% of the nationwide prison population of 3,256 were pre-trial detainees.
In 2011, the government drew up a 10-year plan to improve the facilities but officials have always said it is being implemented.
“Those in our custody did not come to suffer”
The Prison Superintendent of the Monrovia Central Prison didn’t bite his words on reminding the government that inmates were not sent to prison to suffer as he recommended the need for the availability of water and mitigation to enable the government to provide more capacity to host inmates.
He said, “There’s a huge increase in prison population. Where the problem lies now is how can we mitigate it in terms of providing more capacity to host inmates. It is our plead, we in prison management. Those in our custody did not come to suffer, they came for rehabilitation. They are now suffering on grounds that we no longer have the capacity to accommodate them.”
He called on the national government and international partners to assist the prison management with the provision of needs for prisoners. He added that the water situation at the central prison is a concern that needs to be addressed with urgency.
The Prison Superintendent added that during that dry season, all the wells run dry due to the environment, but can access some water during the rainy season which is not sufficient and healthy enough to serve the water needs of inmates.
According to him, the prison facility already has a water corridor erected in the facility but there is no water running in the facility. He asserted that once the rain falls, the sand runs into the wells, making it difficult to access water. With this, he wants water and Swearer to come and connect the facility to water. In his opinion, it will bring great relief to the population in prison. As widely known, he referenced that the prison population has grown more than what the facility was built for. He stated that the facility now has times four of its original capacity.
In 2022, the media reported the fears of a possible jailbreak in some prison facilities in Liberia as inmates starved due to the shortage of food. Sources within the Monrovia Central Prison for instance said the facility went short of food for almost a month.
According to prison officials at the time, the situation caused two prisons, including the main Monrovia Central Prison; to shut temporarily shut their doors to newcomers. “Today, there is completely no food at the facility. Up to now, it is 2 pm, there is no food,” a source within one of the facilities said.
A prison warder said prisons had shut the doors to avoid putting more people at risk due to the shortage of food. He said there was also a possibility that angry inmates could stage jailbreaks. A lot of factors were associated with this situation with the government’s delays in raising funds for the prison facilities being the topmost cause.
The Superintendent of the Monrovia Central Prison, Varney G. Lake, was alarmed at the level of bureaucracy in the acquisition of portions and others from the Ministry of Justice for the proper management of the facility.
