Freetown: Public Sector Reform Unit Director Sulaiman Phoray-Musa formally submitted a comprehensive strategic blueprint for the Sierra Leone Correctional Service (SLCS) to Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh. The presentation occurred on Tuesday during the official commissioning of the institution's new administrative headquarters at New England Ville.
According to Sierra Leone News Agency, the ceremony signaled the launch of pivotal initiatives within the sector. Vice President Dr. Juldeh Jalloh reaffirmed the government's dedication to modernizing the correctional system. He highlighted ongoing reforms designed to bolster operational capacity, enhance staff welfare, and institutionalize merit-based career progression. Modernization efforts initiated in 2018 have yielded significant advancements, including infrastructure upgrades, improved communication systems, and substantial salary enhancements for security personnel. Promotions, he emphasized, will now hinge strictly on performance, training, and professionalism-eschewing favoritism-as part of broader efforts to establish the institution as a center of excellence for career development. He characterized the new strategic framework as a definitive roadmap to elevate Sierra Leone's correctional services to parity with continental counterparts.
In his address, Mr. Phoray-Musa outlined the plan's alignment with the Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP). He detailed its focus on critical systemic areas: safety and security for inmates, staff, and the broader public; inmate welfare; reformation, rehabilitation, and reintegration; alongside human resource capacity, logistics, and personnel well-being. Mr. Phoray-Musa elaborated on the transformation's significance, describing the blueprint as an essential guide for forging a more efficient, secure, and humane institution. It offers clear direction for tackling persistent challenges such as overcrowding and staff welfare while strengthening accountability and operational effectiveness. He underscored that the framework ensures the correctional service remains synchronized with national development priorities.
Additional contributors at the commissioning echoed these sentiments, affirming that both the newly inaugurated administrative building and the strategic plan represent substantial strides toward institutional strengthening and enduring transformation.