KAKATA, Margibi County, September 28, 2026 — Sawabenu, a rule-of-law civil society organization, has blamed the recent mass jailbreak at the Kakata Central Prison on what it describes as systemic failures and government neglect, while proposing a seven-point reform agenda aimed at strengthening Liberia’s justice and corrections systems.
In a statement dated September 25, the organization expressed serious concern over the September 20 jailbreak, saying the incident exposed longstanding problems involving prison overcrowding, prolonged pretrial detention, inadequate funding and weaknesses in judicial case management.
According to Sawabenu, the latest incident marks the second mass escape from Kakata Central Prison in two years, following another security breach in September 2024.
The organization claimed that at the time of the latest jailbreak, the prison held 217 inmates despite having a maximum capacity of 60, putting the facility at more than three times its intended capacity.
Of that number, Sawabenu said 158 inmates, more than 72 percent of the prison population, were pretrial detainees who had not been convicted of crimes.
The group also raised concerns over funding for Liberia’s correctional system, claiming that the country’s correctional facilities receive US$810,001 in direct operating support under the current national budget.
According to the organization, the Police Training Academy alone receives about 20 percent more direct budgetary support than the entire corrections sector, while food, basic sustenance and hygiene account for approximately 73 percent of the resources allocated to corrections.
Sawabenu argued that the conditions at Kakata Central Prison reflect problems extending beyond the prison administration itself and require action across all three branches of government.
“This failure is one of allocation, delayed or uninitiated prosecutions, and inefficient judicial case management, a systemic breakdown that rests with the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary,” the organization said.
It argued that while the Judiciary is not a party to criminal cases before the courts, managing court dockets remains a judicial responsibility.
The organization further claimed that cases potentially eligible for dismissal under Section 18.2 of the Criminal Procedure Law remain on court dockets without action, while Section 13.5, which it says allows magistrates to release detainees under defined circumstances, is inconsistently applied.
In response to the jailbreak and broader challenges confronting the corrections system, Sawabenu proposed a series of measures it says should be urgently implemented.
The group called for a full, transparent and impartial investigation into the Kakata Central Prison security breach, with the findings made public and any officials found negligent held accountable through appropriate legal or administrative procedures.
It also recommended an urgent nationwide judicial review of pretrial detention cases, with priority given to considering bail for eligible nonviolent defendants and expediting cases that have remained stalled in the courts.
Sawabenu further called for security forces searching for the escaped inmates to adhere strictly to human rights standards, warning against excessive force, arbitrary searches and collective punishment.
“Expansion of judicial monitoring beyond human resource compliance to include active auditing of court dockets, addressing judicial inaction on cases eligible for dismissal under Section 18.2 and the objective application by magistrates of Section 13.5 of the Criminal Procedure Law,” the group urged.
It also called for the restoration and expansion of fast-track judicial proceedings and jail delivery programs across the country to accelerate case reviews and facilitate the release of detainees found to be unlawfully held or otherwise eligible for release.
Sawabenu further recommended expanding the Public Defense Program to improve legal representation for indigent defendants, particularly at magisterial courts.
The organization argued that the absence of public defenders in some lower courts, while state prosecutors are available, undermines fair-trial protections and contributes to prolonged pretrial detention.
As part of its proposed reforms, the group also called on the government and Legislature to increase budgetary support for the correctional system to address overcrowding, improve prison conditions and strengthen security.
Sawabenu maintained that the Kakata jailbreak should not be treated merely as an isolated security failure but as an opportunity for authorities to address longstanding weaknesses throughout the criminal justice system.
The organization urged the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary to take coordinated action to reduce prolonged pretrial detention, strengthen prison management and improve the administration of justice.
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