In a recent development, the Legal Aid Board has provided legal representation to a total of 442 convicted inmates as their cases underwent review in Prison Courts across the nation. Out of a total of 443 cases brought before these courts, only one inmate was represented by a private counsel. These inmates had been previously convicted at Magistrate Courts and were currently serving their sentences.
The Prison Courts convened on various dates throughout September and October 2023 at five different locations, namely the Mafanta Correctional Center in the Tonkolili District, Bo Correctional Center in Bo District, Sefadu Correctional Center in Kono District, Waterloo Correctional Center in the Western Area Rural District, and the Pademba Road Male Correctional Center in Freetown.
The Legal Aid Board’s intervention resulted in significant outcomes for these inmates. Among the 442 inmates represented by Legal Aid Counsels, 128 were released, 9 were granted bail, while the remaining 305 either had their sentences reduced or maintained.
Breaking down the numbers, 44 inmates from Mafanta Correctional Center, 27 from Bo, 8 from Kono, 22 from Waterloo, and 27 from Freetown were among those who regained their freedom or experienced changes in their sentences.
The dedicated legal teams included Legal Aid Counsels such as Mohamed Korie, Osman B. Kamara, and Lawyer J.E. Turay, who represented 104 inmates at the Mafanta Prison Court. John J. Harris and A.K Jawara handled 137 cases at the Bo Court, while Counsel Alpha O Kamara was responsible for 18 cases at the Kono Court. Counsel Abdul Sesay took on the representation of 53 inmates at the Waterloo Court, and Counsels Cecilia Tucker and Ibrahim Bangura worked tirelessly to represent 130 inmates at the Freetown Court.
In a touching moment, the Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles, addressed some of the inmates at the Board’s headquarters in Freetown. She conveyed a message of hope and optimism, emphasizing that there is a bright future ahead for each of them. Ms. Carlton-Hanciles challenged the inmates to return to their communities and transform their lives for the better by engaging in productive activities.
Ms. Carlton-Hanciles described the provision of legal representation to the inmates at the prison courts as a clear demonstration of the Board’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that no inmate is left unrepresented due to their financial limitations.
The Prison Courts initiative, introduced by the Judiciary of Sierra Leone, is designed to review cases previously heard at Magistrate Courts. Its primary objectives are to ensure that the decisions made by these lower courts align with the law and, simultaneously, to alleviate the overcrowding issues in the Correctional Centers.
