The County Coordinator of Grand Cape Mount County, Bai L. Sherman, is calling on authorities to ensure that the prison gets water to reduce the already alarming security risk in the facility.
Responding to the Judge’s charge at the opening of the November Term of Court on Monday, November 11, 2024, Sherman emphasized that authorities should be able to work along with the Water and Sewer Corporation in the county to reduce the alarming threats pose on them by allowing inmates to fetch their own water outside of the prison’s facility.
“I was walking when I saw prisoners walking with water gallons on their heads with one prison officer walking behind them, but with nothing in his hands and anything may happen along the way which poses serious security risks to the prison officers and by extension the citizens,” he added.
The lack of water at prison facilities in Liberia is not only affecting Grand Cape Mount prison but all the prisons across the country.
He said it poses serious risks to citizens seeing prisoners roaming with gallons in search of water with one vulnerable prison officer assigned with more than 15 inmates.
Sherman mentioned that there is a need for the City Mayor to help so that water can be taken to the prison noting, “It’s a risk to see prisoners going out for water for their own use; let them remain in the prison facility until they can be tried.”
The early warning sign is also saturating similarly with conditions also affecting the Monrovia Central Prison as well as other prisons across the country.
Now, this issue of water has entered into the remote counties where inmates go in search of water for their domestic use or for the use of prison workers as a means of punishment.
Cllr. Gloria Scott visited the prison and pointed out that water is one of the most pressing needs of the already overcrowded facility and pleaded with the relevant authorities responsible to do an assessment on how water can be brought into the prison compound; adding that “it is difficult to get water from the wells.”
Meanwhile, the superintendent of the prison, Varney Lake, is pleading with the government and international partners to assist the prison management with food, water, among others.
He added that the water situation at the central prison is a concern that needs to be elevated with urgency.
In related news, Sherman used the ceremony to call on the jury that there is another aspect to be juror; that is, to know how to read, write and understand.
“There is a need to also look at repeated jurors so the same faces of jury will not resurface because that is cardinal to justice,” he stressed.
Sherman added, “You can come from anywhere to serve the court but the same faces should not be coming over and over.”
