–Lawmaker Alarms
Grand Gedeh County’s electoral district #3 Representative, Jacob C. Debee, has alarmed that the people of Grand Gedeh are living in fear as one of the nation’s key prison facilities is badly deteriorating and stands the risk of cracking anytime soon.
Representative Debee, in a communication addressed to the full plenary of the House of Representatives through Speaker Jonathan Fonati Koffa, and subsequent deliberation on the matter, pointed out that the rapid deterioration of the facility could lead to jail break, thus putting peaceful citizens at risk, as there are notorious criminals at the facility.
In his communication and deliberation, the Grand Gedeh lawmaker informed members of that august body of the Legislature that the physical condition of the National Palace of Correction, located in electoral district #1, is in a seriously deplorable condition.
According to him, the fence of the facility is broken and the rehabilitation center is unroofed, while the two standby generators have not been operational for years.
“There is no sufficient food for the inmates, no skill training facilities. The assigned PSU officers do not have place to sleep, and keeping hardcore, convicted criminals in such a prison is dangerous,” said the communication.
“Mr. Speaker, Mr. Deputy Speaker and colleagues, such condition poses a serious security risk to the lives and wellbeing of the people and residents of Grand Gedeh County and Liberia at large, in case of any uprising or jail break.”
In addition to the compounded situation at the facility, Representative Debee also alarmed that it has been observed that the operation vehicles used by PSU officers at the palace of correction are all broken down, making it difficult to carry out effective operation and responsibilities as per their mandate.
“In view of the above, I crave your indulgence to invite the Minister of Justice, who is the Attorney General of the Republic of Liberia, before the House of Representatives along with his deputies to explain to us why the Palace of Correction is in such an appalling condition, and to justify the usage of the budgetary allocation in the national budget for the Palace of Correction, which seems abandoned by the Government of Liberia.”