Vice President of Liberia Jeremiah K. Koung has donated several food and assorted items to the Monrovia Central Prison ahead of the Independence Day celebration. Speaking during the donation on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, Veep Koung said the items including rice, vegetable oil, fish and detergents. He said the items are intended to be used for the inmates feeding and wellbeing.
He said there is a lot to be done at the Monrovia Central Prison; most times they as officials of government pass by the facility without knowing what the inmates go through on a daily basis.
“Entering in here today has revealed the constraints and challenges they are faced with. I was told that the prison was built for three hundred inmates, but now they have up to one thousand five hundred prisoners,” the Vice President said.
However, Vice President Koung said he will get back to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to ensure that government intervenes in the matter as some people are in prison for very minor issues.
“We are not here to complain; we are here to fix things so we have heard their pleas and will intervene,” he said.
For her part, Chief Training Officer at the MPC, Florida K. Bakannah told the Vice President that for the past six years they have not received uniforms as correction officers.
She indicated that they do not have insurance and struggle to treat themselves and their family members when ill. According to her, salary of first degree holders at the facility is as low as US$180, and from the same money they take transportation and hospital fees whenever they are sick.
She appealed to Veep Koung to take their challenges to the President to look into it, as they have the heart to do the job but are dissatisfied with their current condition.
