INJUSTICE TO BABIES AND CHILDREN
IN PRISON
Presenter: MRS. CECILIA KAIKAI
2). Picture of Sierra Leone
3). Landmass, Population and Ethnic Groups
 One of Africa smaller Country
 72,000 square kilometers.
 5 million people
 18 Ethnic groups.
4). Historical Background
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Sierra Leone was a former British Colony.
Its capital city is Freetown.
Freetown was at one time Headquarters of British West Africa,
then made up of Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
Gained Independence from Britain in 1961.
The inception of the Prison Service could date back to a
Colonial rule.
In August, 1792, a jailer was sentenced by Governor Clarkson
for being found guilty of slave dealing.
In the absence of a prison facility, he was confined on board a
vessel in iron bars until he was taken to England to serve his
sentence.
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4) CONTD.
- In 1801, the jail was moved from board
the vessel to Fort Thornton and then to its
present location in 1914.
- All Provincial Lock-ups manned by
Chiefdom Administrators were now being
used as prison.
5) DEFINITIONS
BABY
CHILD
– Is a very young child or animal.
– Every human being below the age of
(18)eighteen years.
INJUSTICE- An unfair act towards somebody.
PRISON – A place where people are kept as
punishment for the crime they have
committed or whole awaiting trial.
6) PRISON ESTABLISHMENTS IN SIERRA LEONE
WESTERN AREA
• Freetown Central Prison – (MAXIMUM PRISON)
SOUTHERN PROVINCE
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Bo Prison
Pujehun Prison
Bonthe Prison
Moyamba Prison
Mattru Jong Prison
EASTERN PROVINCE
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Kenema Male Prison
Kenema Female Prison
Kailahun Prison
Sefadu Prison
NORTHERN PROVINCE
• Makeni Prison
• Kambia Prison
• Port Loko Prison
• Kabala Prison
• Magburaka Local Prison
• Magburaka Central Prison
This exclusive administrative Headquarters and Prison Officers Training School.
7). PROCEDURES IN HANDLING BABIES AND
CHILDREN IN SIERRA LEONE PRISONS
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Imprisoned women are tested for pregnancy.
If proven to be pregnated, the Ministry of Social Welfare,
Gender & Children Affairs is directly informed by Prison
authorities.
The Prison Management will provide basic things and
health care till the woman gives birth.
The Government and some non-Governmental Organisation
start to play role towards the welfare of the child.
There is no stated time in our Rules and Ordinance that show,
number of days, months or years the child should leave the
prison.
Nonetheless from two years, the child is being removed.
This should be with the consent of the imprisoned mother.
8). INJUSTICE TO BABIES AND CHILDREN
IN PRISON
 In Africa generally and my country specifically most women
are very poor.
 They are abandoned after pregnancy by their husbands who
may not want to take care of their pregnancy.
 Stress on the part of the women leads them to commit
crimes and more so to take care of their pregnancy.
 Crimes committed in most cases are minor crimes such as
Debt, Fraudulent Conversion, Insult etc.
8a). POLICE STATIONS
 Injustice to Babies/Children start from the Police.
 In innumerable instances women are not informed that they
will be detained upon arrival at the Police station on invitation
for questioning.
 They do come up with their babies and upon questioning they
are being locked up in police holding for days prior to the case
being charged to court.
 The condition of the police cell is deplorable more than the
prison.
 The child become frightened and uncomfortable.
 There isn’t much provision made at the police cell for feeding
the pregnant woman or the child.
8b) THE COURT
• Courts fail to recognise the status of offenders whether they
are pregnant or not or having children.
• Much premium is laid on the crime committed.
• In most cases the women are not granted bail and they are
sent to prison.
• Whenever Pregnant women/children appear in court for court
hearing, they are kept together with their children in the lockups standing for hours, waiting for their turn
• Such lock-ups are very filthy.
8c) PRISONS
• A woman with a baby on arrival in Prison, the particulars of the child is
not taken only the mother.
• Pregnant women do miscarry their pregnancy in prison due to stress.
• Some that survive and give birth in prison grows to hate the baby on
birth.
• In certain cases some may even attempt to murder the baby.
- An Incidence of Attempted murder at Kenema Prison
• An example of such happened at the Kenema Prison in Sierra Leone.
The mother of the child was in prison because she committed murder
by killing her husband. She gave birth to a baby in prison and
attempted to kill the baby on three occasions, when interrogated by
female prison officers, she said she doesn't want to carry a baby in
prison, as this is a shame to her upon discharge.
The Prison
authorities took the baby from her and made arrangements through
the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children Affairs, to get a
foster parent for the baby.
8c) CONTD.
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Observations made by a Project Coordinator of Prison Watch Sierra Leone
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He observed that there is no variation of baby milk for babies as all of
them are being fed with the same milk.
The children of the imprisoned mothers are put on the same diet with the
adult.
Some of the children suffer from stomach problems and also malnutrition.
There are no provision for reading materials and toys for children.
No recreational grounds for children.
Baby carriage not available.
Not much attention is given by the mothers, they only feed their babies
and left the babies to the officers.
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- Physical surroundings and restrictions
 Restrictions are placed on the lives of the children in prison.
 Children and their mothers together with other prisoners are locked up early
by 6.p.m. every day.
 Some of the cells are overcrowded, no painting on the walls, very little space
for the child to play.
8c) CONTD.
 Babies and children in prison regularly fall ill due to poor sanitation,
overcrowding and poor diet.
- Visitation and Post withdrawal from Prison
 Children do not have access to the community but only kept within the
prison environment.
 Relatives fail to visit and as such they are completely lost of what is
happening in the outside world.
 These children experience negative effect when ever they leave the prison
as they become shy.
 They find it difficult to adjust to traffic, to see people especially men and
women together.
 They are afraid of animals.
 They are stigmatised.
9). SOLUTIONS
• Government Interventions
 Serious efforts must be taking to prevent babies and children from
living in prisons.
 Governments to ensure that the economy of their states is good.
 Governments to ensure proper management of resources.
 Establishment of training programmes such as skilled training for
women.
 Award of micro-credit schemes to mothers.
 Housing support and drug treatment programme should be
employed.
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9) contd
- Diversion from formal Judicial processes should be considered.
 Community mediation.
 Traditional tribal adjudication system or restorative justice
processes.
 Treatment of any mental health or addiction issues the
women may face.
- Pre-Trial Detention
 Suspended sentences for women.
 Granting of bails.
 Financial guarantees or giving undertakings about movement
and behaviour must be designed to enable the women to
comply with such requirements.
 The length of any prison sentence should be taken into
consideration.
- 9) contd
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The needs of Babies and Children.
 The particulars of the child should be recorded whilst entering
the prison.
 Children with his or her imprisoned mother/pregnant women
be given adequate provision to nutritional food.
Accommodation should be provided.
 Cribs, Recreational, Educational facilities should be made
available in the prison.
 Frequent visits to the community and from family members
etc. must be available and acceptable.
 Preparation should be made well in advance for what
happened to children when they leave the prison.
 Children and their mothers may need continuous support to
help them successfully reintegrate into the community
CONCLUSION
To conclude it is plausible to assert that most of
the women offenders do not commit violence
offence and are not a danger to the society.
They do not need to be imprisoned.
 If at all they are imprisoned, the length of any
prison sentence should be taken into
consideration.
 One should bare in mind that babies and
children are our future leaders and should be
protected.
Thank you all.