Prison visit

We went to visit Monrovia Central Prison today, because Second Chance have previously worked with the prisoners there, and are trying to re-connect that link.  They ran groups to deal with the effects of trauma, teaching them body stabilisation techniques and anger management.

It was a very eye opening experience.  Some statistics for you;

·      Prison capacity – 374

·      Actual number of inmates – 989

·      Number of inmates who have been sentenced – 109

·      Number of prison guards – 114

We did not actually go inside the buildings but walked through the grounds to meet in an office.  There were many prisoners in the grounds, although a large number are not allowed outside.  We were told to not make contact with them, which was very difficult for the SC staff who have previously worked with a lot of these prisoners, before the bureaucracy at the ministry ended there work there. Several recognised the SC staff and asked them when they were coming back, greeting them warmly.  Those prisoners who went through their programme are now being used as role models for the other prisoners…proving it works. 

Most prisoners have ended up there because they grew up in a country at war where they were not given a chance or taught how to make better decisions in life.

To further understand the state of the prison system in Liberia look at this report made last year by Amnesty International.

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/report/appalling-prison-conditions-liberia-must-be-improved-2011-09-21

No pictures for this post because we were not allowed to take our cameras inside!