The Director General of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service has expressed willingness to retire from the Department when his term of service “comes to an end on the 9th October, 2020”.
He made this statement while addressing members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Oversight Committee in Parliament.
The DG updated the august body on key achievements and challenges in the SLCS, especially ones under his reign.
“Inmates now receive training from trained SLCS staff in vocational skills, and adult literacy, business/ entrepreneurship skills, agriculture, among others.”
Pointing to the fact that inmates are engaged in industry work, he said stripends were being provided to inmates which would eventually be used to help in their reintegration and resettlement into society.
Mr. Lamboi also mentioned that the University of Makeni stood out, in terms of all other tertiary institutions in the country, in helping inmates with University education.
“Other institutions like the United Nations Development Programme, International Bureau of Narcotics and Law Enforcement, Don Bosco Fambul, among others, have played important roles in the reformation drive of the SLCS.”
Commenting on structural developments, DG said his administration had ensured the construction of a conference hall, senior officers’ mess, child- friendly centre, the establishment of the North- West regional headquarters in Port Loko, and the construction of a clinic which will be devoted to officers and their families.
Having underscored key successes in the Department, the DG shifted the discourse to challenges faced.
“We sometimes struggle to get allocation from the Ministry of Finance to run the Department; we are also under- staffed by over a thousand. Above all, we are still grappling with issue of the relocation of the Pademba road Correctional Centre.”
Responding to some of the issues raised by the DG, the Chairman of the Committee said the SLCS “is a very important institution in the country”, adding government should pay utmost attention to it.
He offered to summon a meeting with the Ministry of Finance in order to impress on them to be releasing funds due to the SLCS, and to also provide funds for the recruitment of personnel.
