VISIT TO HARPER PRISON

We had the opportunity to travel to Harper, Maryland County and to accompany Counselor Aaron Kparkillen, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Justice Republic of Liberia, on November 21 for a tour of Harper Prison, where we met with Corrections Officer and Superintendent Crispin Doe, and held brief discussions with a few of the prisoners. Harper Prison is not overcrowded, has many empty cells, and typically houses 4 prisoners per cell. Yet, even with fewer prisoners, the prison still experiences many of the same or similar issues as Monrovia Central Prison.

Harper Prison Conditions

Through our discussions with Superintendent Doe and his colleagues, as well as our own observations, we identified several issues with the prison, including:

1. The prison does not receive any government funding, and must rely solely on the UN and NGOs in order to operate;

2. The prison does not have fuel for its generator (and there is no city power), so the prison does not have electricity;

3. The electric water pump is broken (and the prison does not have electricity-see above), so the prison's internal plumbing is not operational. The prison guards must escort prisoners to a water pump outside of the prison walls in order to obtain water for the prison. This method is dangerous and inefficient for the guards, prisoners and public;

4. Prison guards are paid irregularly, and most work for periods without pay. Additionally, someone (usually the Superintendent) must travel to Monrovia to pick up the guards' salaries;

5. The prison does not have resources to keep adequate prison records (even something as simple as chalk to keep the inmate record current). The prison does have a computer, but does not have electricity to operate it;

6. The prisoners have a small garden, but it is located outside of the prison walls so prisoners must be escorted and supervised by guards when they work in the garden. The garden is used to supplement the prison pantry;

7. The prison has no means to transport prisoners to court for trials and hearings. The prison has, at times, resorted to transporting prisoners by motorbike, which has allowed at least one prisoner to escape;

8. There are no on-site medical or dental facilities, and, due to the lack of transportation, it is often difficult to provide medical and/or dental care to prisoners. In severe cases, the guards have sometimes obtained taxis to transport prisoners to the local hospital;

9. There is one mentally ill prisoner housed in the prison, and it is uncertain whether he receives treatment for his condition;

10. The prison does not offer any educational, vocational, or training programs to assist in the rehabilitation of its prisoners;

11. Outside of the small garden, the prison does not offer any work opportunities for its prisoners; and

12. Not all guards have uniforms.

Some of the things that the guards and the Superintendent are able to accomplish with limited resources are:

1. The prison is not overcrowded;

2. Adults, females, and juveniles are housed in separate cells;

3. The mentally ill prisoner is housed in a separate cell, both for his benefit and the safety of the other prisoners;

4. The prisoners are able to maintain a small garden;

5. The guards work hard to maintain a rapport and discipline with the prisoners and to keep the prisoners from establishing a "government" so that the guards can maintain proper control [10];

6. There does not seem to be much evidence of guard violence against prisoners or any other kind of inhumane treatment, which meets the requirements of Liberia Criminal Procedure Code section 2:34.18;

7. Superintendent Doe and the guards appear to work hard at maintaining a professional and respectful environment under very difficult conditions. The prisoner conversations with us confirmed that observation.

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10. This is unlike the situation in Monrovia, where the guards depend on a hierarchy, or "government", to help the restricted number of guards control a much larger population of inmates.




To read the next section of this article: 6. Harper Prison: Case Studies.

To return to the previous section of this article: 4. Monrovia Central Prison: Report from Guards.

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