Speeches

The Launch of Prison Watch Sierra Leone 

October 20, 2005

 

Ambassador Thomas N. Hull Keynote Address at the Launch Report on Prisons and Detention Monitoring in Sierra Leone 

Mr. Chairman, Honorable Minister of Internal Affairs, Distinguished Guests and Fellow Speakers, Students, Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am delighted to participate with you today in the launch of Prison Watch Sierra Leone’s “Report on Prisons and Detention Monitoring in Sierra Leone.”  The research for this report was supported by a grant from the Democracy and Human Rights Fund of the American Embassy.  Our contribution reflects the concern and commitment of the Government and people of the United States of America for human rights and justice.
 
We usually think of justice as ending with a court verdict, but justice also requires that the human dignity of those convicted be respected in prison in accordance with established international standards.  We also need to recognize that people who are held in custody pending trial are entitled to a presumption of innocence and to treatment in accordance with the UN Minimum Standard Rules of Detention.  The only way to determine if universally accepted standards are being met is to visit the prisons and detention facilities as Prison Watch has done.  The best way to hold Government accountable for prison conditions and prisoner treatment is to publish the findings as Prison Watch is doing today with the launch of its report.
 
This type of report is never comfortable for a government.  There is not a single country in the world without some deficiency in its justice or penal system.  While torture and other abuses of detainees and prisoners are usually intentional and systematic under authoritarian regimes, we find in democracies that the deficiencies more often result from individual malfeasance, maliciousness, and/or incompetence; inadequate resources; and official neglect.  The transparency that is basic to democratic governance provides a means to expose and to correct such deficiencies.
 
Sierra Leone is no exception.  Indeed, the findings of the report should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the abject poverty and overall conditions in Sierra Leone.  Despite this situation in which the Government struggles even to provide basic services to its citizens, the general conditions in detention facilities and prisons are clearly unacceptable as measured by international standards.  It is important, therefore, that this report and its recommendations be viewed as a constructive effort to assist Government by identifying specific areas for improvement.
 
The Prison Watch report details important deficiencies with respect to prolonged detention without charges, overcrowding of cells, abusive conditions for women and youths, and inadequate food, sanitation, and medical facilities.  I am impressed that the report recognizes not only the substandard conditions for detainees and prisoners, but also the inadequate conditions of service and treatment of prison officers.  If Government does not treat prison officers professionally, there is less likelihood that they will treat prisoners appropriately.  We must recognize that the Government of Sierra Leone lacks the wherewithal to correct most detention and prison deficiencies as it struggles to provide for the basic human needs for all Sierra Leoneans.  For this reason, I am extremely pleased that other international donors, notably the UNDP and DfID, have offered training and other concrete assistance to address both the professional skills of prison officers and the general conditions of the prisons.
 
The Government of Sierra Leone is to be commended for facilitating the visitation by Prison Watch to seven prisons and eighteen police cells throughout the country.  Without that cooperation, the “Report on Prisons and Detention Monitoring in Sierra Leone” would have been impossible.  The transparency that this responsiveness represents is an indication that democratization is happening in Sierra Leone.   On the other hand, as Prison Watch conducts its next survey of prison and detention conditions, it will be essential for the Minister of Internal Affairs to permit access to the Pademba Road Prison as other organizations, the press, and diplomats have received.  The overcrowding and other inadequacies there are well known, but incorporating them into the next Prison Watch report would improve both the transparency of Government and the quality of the report and its recommendations.
 
Prison Watch is to be congratulated for this significant report.  Although Sierra Leone does not systematically torture prisoners, the extreme hardship that prison conditions impose on prisoners is itself a form of torture that has resulted in the avoidable deaths of too many prisoners.  Let us not forget that while criminals owe a debt to society, once that debt is paid by completion of their prison sentences, they will rejoin society.  The significance of this report, therefore, is not simply as a measure of Sierra Leone’s adherence to international standards, but even more importantly as a guide for Sierra Leoneans as you strive to achieve a just society into which the most despised elements can be reintegrated as a result of humane treatment and rehabilitation.
 
The “Report on Prisons and Detention Monitoring in Sierra Leone” also signals the growth of Prison Watch Sierra Leone as a non-governmental organization.  As Prison Watch Sierra Leone grows stronger, civil society in this country is likewise strengthened.  Civil society complements Government by pursuing democratic goals that are consistent with those of the Government.  Because of the importance that the United States of America places on human rights, civil society empowerment, and democratization, I am proud of our association with Prison Watch Sierra Leone.
 
With these few remarks and observations, I would like now to declare the Prison Watch Sierra Leone “Report on Prisons and Detention Monitoring in Sierra Leone” officially launched.
 
Thank you for your attention.