By Edwin N. Khakie
The Superintendent of the Gbarnga Central Prison, Mrs. Gbolomen K. Siakor, has raised urgent concerns over the alarming overcrowding at the facility, warning that the situation poses serious risks to both inmates and staff.
Gbarnga, Bong County, May 12, 2025 — In an exclusive interview with The New Dawn on Saturday, Superintendent Siakor described the current conditions at the prison as “untenable and deeply troubling.” Designed to accommodate 130 inmates, the facility is now housing over 320 individuals — nearly triple its intended capacity.
“Our cells are packed beyond limits, with some holding twice the number of inmates they were built for,” Siakor stated. “This overcrowding undermines security, strains our limited resources, and exposes both inmates and officers to health and safety hazards.”
According to Siakor, the surge in inmate numbers is largely due to delays in court trials, with many individuals held in pre-trial detention for extended periods. “We have inmates who have been here for over a year without seeing a day in court,” she said. “The justice system bottlenecks are contributing heavily to the overcrowding crisis.”
Superintendent Siakor disclosed that the prison currently holds about 206 male inmates awaiting trial, while 97 male inmates have already been tried and convicted.
She further noted that the strain on the prison’s infrastructure is causing rapid deterioration of facilities. “Sanitation is a major challenge. Our septic tanks are overwhelmed, and we lack sufficient medical supplies to manage the spread of communicable diseases in such crowded conditions,” she explained.
Siakor appealed to national authorities, the judiciary, and human rights organizations to intervene swiftly. She called for urgent measures such as accelerating judicial processes, expanding the facility, or constructing a new prison to cope with the growing inmate population.
“This is not just a prison problem; it’s a human rights issue and a public health concern,” the Superintendent stressed. “If we do not act now, we risk facing an even more dangerous crisis shortly.”- Edited by Othello B. Garblah.
