By Alimatu Jalloh
The Legal Aid Board of Sierra Leone, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has successfully represented 951 inmates during the latest round of Prison Courts, conducted from July 1 to 11, 2025, across ten Correctional Centers nationwide.
These include sittings at Magburaka Correctional Center, Kabala Correctional Centre, Makeni Correctional Centre, Kambia Correctional Centre, Port Loko Correctional Centre, Mattru Jong Correctional Centre, Moyamba Correctional Centre, Kenema Correctional Centre, Waterloo Correctional Centre in the Western Area Rural District, and the Pademba Road Male and Female Correctional Centre in Freetown.
Among the 951 inmates represented by Legal Aid Counsels in the 10 centers, 376 had their sentences reduced to time spent and were released, 3 were granted bail while the remaining 572 had their sentences reduced or maintained, those whose matters were reserved for judgement should be delivered without delay and Magisterial Matters to be concluded.
Among those released, 75 were from the Magburaka Correctional Centre; 14 from Kabala; 87 from Makeni; 43 from Waterloo; 25 in Kambia; 59 from Port Loko; 21 from Mattru Jong; 8 from Moyamba; 53 from Kenema and 23 from the Male and Female Correctional Centres in Freetown.
Among those released in Freetown was John Mensa, a Ghanaian national, who was serving a 30-year jail term on being guilty of larceny by trick. John was released and deported to his home country Ghana following the review of his matter and reduction of his sentence by Justice Alusine Sesay JSC.
The Prison Court is a session set aside by the Judiciary to review cases of over sentenced and remand inmates from Magistrate and High courts. It also helps to decongest Correctional Centers.