Lenses Behind Bars: A Prosecutor Becomes an Inmate
By Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara, Esq.
After a long career in prosecution, I found myself on the other side of the legal system, spending almost a week as an inmate at the Male Correctional Centre on Pademba Road. I won’t discuss the details of my detention, but I want to share insights gained from this experience, especially about the thousands of Sierra Leoneans still behind bars long after my release.
Pademba Road was intended for a small fraction of its current population. While designed for just over 2,000 inmates, it now houses more than 5,000, the majority of whom are remand detainees awaiting trial in an agonisingly slow system.
During my time as Attorney-General, I attempted to tackle this issue by securing the release of 500 individuals facing flimsy charges or held without indictment within my first 100 days. Along with the Legal Aid Board, we took on over 1,500 cases, achieving the release of hundreds more. I understood the system was flawed, but experiencing it firsthand shifted my perspective.
What changed was my awareness of the emotional toll of legal delays. In prison, time is marked not by laws or court dates but by interminable waits: for hearings, lawyer visits, or family contact. I recall briefly smiling at the thought of conjugal visits, only for that moment to vanish at the sound of a roll call bell.
Although remand detainees are presumed innocent, each day spent in jail punishes them as though guilt has already been determined. Overcrowding is palpable; it affects breathing space, sleeping arrangements, essential sanitation, and fuels tension among men who feel they have nothing left to lose. I witnessed individuals who had not been convicted, yet whose freedom rested on an unresponsive system.
My brief confinement pales in comparison to the years faced by those without my advantages of influence or representation.
This situation represents more than a humanitarian crisis; it’s a failure of justice and public safety. A prison overpopulated to double its capacity cannot rehabilitate inmates, and a remand population that surpasses those convicted means many are punished before a guilty verdict is reached.
The solutions are clear. First, the Government should mandate regular remand reviews to ensure no detainee remains in custody without a clear court date or bail decision. Second, the Legal Aid Board and courts require adequate resources for dedicated remand courts, case management, and swift disclosure of information. Finally, we must explore alternatives to detention, create effective bail guidelines, and promote community service.
As a former prosecutor, I recognise that public safety is paramount. These reforms are not lenient on crime; they are stringent on delays, illegality, and neglect.
The true measure of our justice system lies not in the treatment of a former Attorney-General but in how it addresses the plight of inmates without influence or representation. We must listen to their cries for justice.
