By Emma Black
In a major step toward promoting correctional reform and self-sufficiency within Sierra Leone’s prison system, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Rtd AIG Morie Lengor Esq, on Saturday led a high level delegation to the Mafanta Correctional Centre in Bombali District.
On 5 July 2025, the minister was accompanied by the Director General of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service (SLCS), Mr. Joseph J. Senesie, Deputy DG Madam Susan B. Coker, and other senior officials, the visit aimed to inspect ongoing agricultural and vocational training projects under the government’s Feed Salone initiative, which seeks to integrate food production and rehabilitation within correctional facilities.
DG Senesie proudly showcased the progress made at Mafanta, which now includes a piggery, cattle ranch, and several crop farms. He emphasized the transformative impact of involving inmates in farming and called for increased government support to expand the program through mechanization.
We are proving that correctional centres can contribute to food security while empowering inmates with skills for reintegration, Senesie noted.
During the tour, minister Lengor commended the SLCS for improving the quality of correctional services, he visited several inmate training workshops in carpentry and tailoring, along with farms growing cassava, rice, and corn.
With the right support, these centers can become self-sustaining in two to three years, significantly reducing the financial burden on the government, the Minister said.
The delegation also visited Rolako Village in Makari Chiefdom, identified as a potential relocation site for inmates currently held at the overcrowded Pademba Road Correctional Centre, Welcoming the plan, paramount chief Bai Makari N’kolo pledged the full cooperation of the community in support of national development efforts.
The visit to Mafanta formed part of a broader ministerial tour of correctional facilities in the North East Region, including stops in Makeni, Magburaka, and later, Waterloo, at each site, the Minister delivered messages of hope, unity, and institutional transformation, stressing the government’s commitment to improving correctional standards.
Resident minister North East, Hon. Ibrahim Jalloh, also praised SLCS’s leadership, particularly in agricultural development, he expressed appreciation for the land secured for the Pademba relocation project, calling it a visionary step toward lasting correctional reform.
Deputy Director General Susan Coker reaffirmed SLCS’s focus on skills training and rehabilitation, revealing plans to establish a poultry farm to further diversify inmate vocational opportunities.
The tour concluded at the Waterloo Correctional Centre construction site, where the team raised concerns over illegal land encroachment, minister Lengor assured that the government would act swiftly to protect the project and continue advancing its correctional reform agenda.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Wednsday,9th July, 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
