CHRDI Exposes Overcrowding, Unlawful Detentions, and Poor Conditions in Freetown Police Stations
The Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI) has raised serious concerns over what it describes as alarming human rights violations in several police stations across Freetown, following a series of monitoring visits conducted between October 30 and November 13, 2025.
According to CHRDI, its monitoring team visited 11 police stations over the three-day exercise, engaging with 637 individuals currently in detention and reviewing the records of an additional 754 people documented in police files. The objective of the visits, the organization explained, was to assess compliance with human rights standards and to gain firsthand insight into the conditions detainees face while in police custody.
CHRDI’s findings revealed widespread overcrowding in multiple cells, with many detainees struggling for adequate space, ventilation, and basic comfort. Even more troubling, the organization reported 263 cases of alleged unlawful detention, raising concerns about due process and overall adherence to legal safeguards.
The rights group also identified severe child-protection issues. Monitors found women detained alongside their young children — some as young as two years old — reportedly due to the lack of alternative caregivers. CHRDI further documented 20 minors under the age of 18 being detained in the same cells as adults, a practice it described as ethically indefensible and in violation of both national and international child-protection norms.
Testimonies gathered from detainees painted an even bleaker picture. Several individuals alleged that they suffered physical assault either during arrest or while in custody. CHRDI observed that most cells were “dark, cramped, and unwelcoming,” contributing significantly to the physical and emotional distress of those detained. Sanitation conditions were also found to be “notably poor,” resulting in unclean and degrading environments across the police stations visited.
Beyond concerns about physical detention conditions, CHRDI criticized the practical impact of the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA) 2024, arguing that it has imposed new financial burdens on both complainants and police personnel. Under the new arrangement, individuals are reportedly required to pay for copies of essential documents needed for reporting and investigating cases — a situation the organization believes could hinder access to justice, particularly for vulnerable citizens.
CHRDI stated that it has compiled data and photographs from its monitoring visits and intends to make them public to draw attention to the urgent need for reform within Sierra Leone’s policing and justice systems. The organization is calling on the authorities to address the violations identified, prioritize the welfare of detainees, and ensure full compliance with human rights standards in all police facilities nationwide.
