MONROVIA – A 37-year-old Liberian, Gebah Massaquoi, recently released from the Monrovia Central Prison, has decried the deplorable and overcrowded conditions at the facility. Massaquoi, who spoke to journalists in Monrovia on Tuesday, called on the Ministry of Justice and the Government of Liberia to take immediate steps to address the dire challenges facing inmates at the prison.
Massaquoi praised the Unity Party-led administration of President Joseph N. Boakai for ongoing efforts to improve conditions at the prison but urged the government to intensify its efforts. He highlighted that the Monrovia Central Prison, originally built to accommodate 300 inmates, now houses over 1,500, creating severe overcrowding.
Massaquoi appealed to the Senate Defense and Security Committee to prioritize prison reform by recommending and securing funds for the construction of additional correctional facilities. He also lamented the lack of essential services such as a health center within the prison, attributing the situation to inadequate budgetary allocations.
“The prison administrators often have to credit food to feed the inmates daily,” Massaquoi revealed. He compared the living conditions at the prison to “drilling in the Atlantic Ocean,” citing allegations of mistreatment of inmates.
Massaquoi expressed concern over the high number of inmates who remain incarcerated for extended periods without trial due to their inability to afford legal representation. “More people are at the Monrovia Central Prison for little or nothing, and some have not been taken to court for months or years,” he stated.
He encouraged families to routinely check on their relatives in custody, noting that many people are detained without their family’s knowledge. “If someone is incarcerated, we have an obligation as a country under international human rights law to ensure that person is in a safe and secure environment,” Massaquoi said.
Reflecting on the clemency granted by President Joseph Boakai on December 24, 2024, Massaquoi described it as a “slap in the face” for many inmates facing minor offenses across the country. The President had pardoned 38 inmates under the constitutional authority granted by Chapter 6, Article 59 of the 1986 Liberian Constitution. The decision was intended to underscore the administration’s commitment to fairness, magnanimity, and rehabilitation.
Massaquoi, who spent ten months at the Monrovia Central Prison, urged the government and stakeholders to treat prison reform as a national priority.
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