The A.D. May Term of Court for Criminal Assizes A, B, C, and D, formally opened on Monday, May 11, 2026 across the country, with proceedings in Montserrado County capturing national attention, as the Deputy Minister for Administration at the Ministry of Justice used the occasion to sound a strong warning about the worsening crisis of prison overcrowding, particularly at the Monrovia Central Prison, commonly known as South Beach.
Speaking during the ceremony, Cllr. Cora Hare Konuwa underscored the alarming reality of prison overcrowding across Liberia, describing it as an “age-old problem” that now threatens the efficiency and humanity of the justice system.
The Minister described the situation at the country’s largest correctional facility as “alarming, unsustainable, and a growing national security concern,” noting that the prison now holds more than 400 percent of its intended capacity.
Originally built to accommodate 375 inmates, the facility is currently hosting over 1,700, a figure the Minister said “poses a serious burden” on the Ministry of Justice and the entire criminal justice system. According to her, the overcrowding crisis is not new, but remains an “age-old problem” affecting prisons across Liberia.
She pointed out that several regional prisons designed for 100 inmates now hold more than 300, worsening sanitary conditions, increasing health risks, and straining correctional officers’ ability to maintain order.
The minister painted a troubling picture of life behind bars, revealing that inmates at South Beach are now sleeping by schedule, with some forced to sleep in bathrooms, hallways, and other spaces never intended for housing people. “These are human beings,” she emphasized. “If a space meant for 25 inmates now holds 100, we cannot pretend that everything is normal. This is a major security risk for the country.”
The Minister noted that as administrators of justice, the ministry cannot ignore the reality. She stressed that the institution has a responsibility to keep defendants safe, especially those who fall ill, but the burden has now grown too heavy. To reduce new admissions into overcrowded facilities, the Ministry has begun applying strict screening measures for defendants sent from lower courts.
Currently, only individuals charged with serious felonious crimes should be admitted into the Monrovia Central Prison. Many cases forwarded from magisterial courts are now being returned due to limited space. “We find it unfortunate that some defendants cannot be admitted, but the truth is the prison system can no longer absorb people indiscriminately,” the Deputy Minister said.
The minister urged stakeholders across the justice sector, including judges, magistrates, public defenders, lawyers, and lawmakers, to collectively address the crisis through law reform, procedural reviews, and long-term structural solutions.
“This is not the ministry’s problem alone,” she stressed. “If we do not work together, the public will feel the consequences and assume that the ministry is refusing to perform its duties. That is not the case; we remain fully committed to the fair, diligent, and responsible administration of justice.”
Minister Konuwa concluded by reaffirming the ministry’s dedication to ensuring that no one is simply prosecuted for the sake of prosecution, but rather through a process guided by due diligence, fairness, and respect for human dignity.
Recently, the Bureau of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Assistant Minister Gabriel F. Ndupellar, representing the Justice Ministry at the National Association of Public Defenders of Liberia (NAPDOL) conference, reported that 2,650 out of 3,768 inmates nationwide are in pre-trial detention, representing a 70% pre-trial detention rate, a figure he described as “alarming.”
According to him, such high numbers are driven by recurrent system failures, including Violations of the right to a speedy and fair trial, insufficient court personnel and overloaded magistrates, lack of city solicitors in counties outside Montserrado, absence of public defenders at courts of first instance, and private prosecutors abandoning cases once defendants are remanded.
The Assistant Minister called for stronger collaboration, stating that the BCR is open to partnering with NAPDOL to address systemic barriers and improve inmate rights, rehabilitation, probation, and parole services.
The May Term of Court continues this week, with judges across the 15 counties expected to hear updates on congestion in their respective jurisdictions, backlogged dockets, and the need for coordinated reforms in the criminal justice sector.
