Flaws in Liberian prison lead to the successful escape of 47 prisoners

Monrovia, Liberia, September 10, 2024. Authorities said that dozens of prisoners escaped from a high-security prison outside the Liberian capital over the weekend. The Liberian Ministry of Justice pointed out in a statement that due to flaws in the security system, 47 prisoners successfully escaped from the prison in Kakata Town, 55 kilometers northeast of the capital Monrovia.

The Ministry of Justice is deeply concerned about this incident and said that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure the recapture of the escaped prisoners. At the same time, the country's national police have also deployed more officers to assist in the search for the fugitives.

Liberia's prisons generally have the problem of overcrowding. Prisoners often lack sufficient food and basic medical care. Last year, a prison in Monrovia ran out of food, and two other prisons also briefly stopped receiving prisoners due to food shortages. In addition, a large number of prisoners are detained without trial. A United Nations report in November 2022 showed that 73% of the national prison population are pretrial detainees.