By Chief Officer Nannah Sesay (Deputy National PRO, SLCS)
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) handed over a solar powered bore hole to the Moyamba Correctional Centre, on Tuesday 25th of May 2021.
Stepping in the shoes of the Director General, the Director of Regional Services Mrs. Salamatu Kohyee Bangura said the SLCS and the UNDP were in partnership for good, adding that the UNDP had brought so many other development to “our facilities” since “we transformed from Prisons to Corrections”.
She also stated that the DG of the SLCS always spoke highly of the UNDP wherever he went, because of their helpful interventions.
“This development here means inmates will stop walking out of the centre to fetch water. Lack of water in any centre can have serious security implications on our job. Now that this bore hole is available we will use it for its intended purpose.”
Mentioning the fact that Government is doing all it can to render needed support to the SLCS, she noted that Government cannot do everything for the SLCS, “that is why interventions of this nature from donor partners are highly sought”.
Mrs. Bangura further stated that in one of the SLCS’ working tools, the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules 22 (2) clearly stated that “drinking water shall be available to every prisoner whenever he or she needs it”, and section 32 of the Prison Rules stated that “every inmate shall unless be exempted by the Officer in charge or Medical Officer, taking a bath or shower in admission are thereafter daily”.
The SLCS takes cognizance of these tools in order to maintain the health status of the inmates in our custody, according to her.
The UNDP resident representative Pa Lamin Biyai, who expressed delight, thanked the American Ambassador to Sierra Leone for their support, nd said that the Justice Sector was their priority, as they had developed a Justice Sector App to give a clear picture of court proceedings and regular updates from them.
The American Ambassador, His Excellency David .D. Reimer stated that clean drinking water would eradicate communicable diseases, and protect human dignity, pointing out that the specialized training they were giving to Sierra Leone Corrections Officers, was to enhance quality service delivery.
