By: Reginald Brian Ojukutu Sawyerr
Eight inmates have been released from various correctional centres across Sierra Leone after Humanitarian and Football Administrator Madam Isha Johansen paid their court-imposed fines, giving them an opportunity to regain their freedom and begin a new chapter in their lives.
The beneficiaries were released on Friday, 21 August 2026, in an intervention that brought together correctional officials, the beneficiaries and representatives of Madam Johansen.
The beneficiaries were serving sentences for offences including assault, malicious damage, obtaining by fraud, larceny, and public insult and provocation.
The beneficiaries were:
Ya Alimamy Tonkara — Freetown: Assault — one year or Le4,000 fine.
Sarah Sarty — Kenema: Malicious Damage — six months or Le2,000 fine.
Martha Mende — Bo: Obtaining by Fraud — six months or Le5,000 fine.
Fudia Alusine — Waterloo: Larceny — six months or Le100 fine.
Abdulai Amara — Kailahun: Larceny — six months or Le1,000 fine.
Momoh Ansumana — Kailahun: Larceny — six months or Le1,000 fine.
David Ansumana — Kailahun: Larceny — 24 months or Le2,000 fine.
Joseph Jigba — Male Reintegration: Public Insult and Provocation — 12 months or Le4,000 fine.
The total fines paid for the eight beneficiaries amounted to Le19,100.
Speaking first at the programme, Susan B. Koker, Deputy Director General of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service, welcomed the intervention and said the release represented an important opportunity for the beneficiaries to rebuild their lives.
Koker said the work of the Correctional Service goes beyond keeping people in custody, explaining that rehabilitation and preparing inmates to return to society as useful and productive citizens remain central to the institution’s mandate.
She noted that inmates enter correctional facilities under different circumstances, with some awaiting trial while others have been sentenced, including people who remain in custody because they are unable to pay court-imposed fines.
She urged the beneficiaries not to view their release simply as an end to imprisonment, but as an opportunity to reflect on their experiences and make meaningful changes in their lives.
Koker also praised Madam Johansen’s continued support, noting that her interventions have helped provide hope to inmates and contributed to efforts to address overcrowding within correctional facilities.
She highlighted Madam Johansen’s support for rehabilitation initiatives, including Football for Reform and Fashion for Change, which provide inmates with opportunities to learn practical skills.
Koker encouraged the released inmates to make use of the skills they have acquired and to avoid returning to the circumstances that brought them into conflict with the law.
Also speaking at the programme, Superintendent Nannah Sesay, Head of Media and Public Relations and Deputy Manager of the Freetown Correctional Centre, thanked Madam Johansen for her intervention.
Sesay explained that one of the important roles of the Correctional Service is to advocate for inmates, particularly those who have fines but lack the financial means to pay them.
She said Madam Johansen’s intervention had provided a lifeline for the beneficiaries and helped reduce the pressure created by overcrowding at correctional facilities.
According to Sesay, Madam Johansen has also supported the Correctional Service with infrastructure and equipment and has contributed to rehabilitation programmes aimed at ensuring that inmates spend their time in custody acquiring useful skills.
She cited tailoring, handicrafts and other vocational activities as important tools for preparing inmates for life after custody.
Sesay encouraged the beneficiaries to take responsibility for their future, make positive choices and use the opportunity they had been given to build better lives for themselves and their families.
Aminata Bangura, who represented Madam Isha Johansen at the ceremony, delivered a message on her behalf.
Bangura said Madam Johansen’s intervention was driven by compassion and her desire to give vulnerable people another opportunity to transform their lives.
She encouraged the released inmates to recognise that the payment of their fines was only the beginning of their journey towards rehabilitation.
Bangura said the beneficiaries should use the opportunity responsibly and ensure that they do not return to the same circumstances that led to their incarceration.
She also highlighted the importance of skills development through initiatives such as Fashion for Change and Football for Reform, saying inmates should be equipped with practical skills that can help them become self-reliant after their release.
One of the released inmate Abdulai Amara expressed deep gratitude to Madam Johansen for paying his fine and giving him an opportunity to regain his freedom.
He said he hoped to carry the message of hope and compassion to other inmates, particularly those still at the Kailahun Correctional Centre.
Amara also expressed interest in supporting sensitization efforts aimed at encouraging inmates to believe in rehabilitation and prepare themselves for a positive return to society.
He described Madam Johansen’s intervention as a blessing and thanked her for helping him reconnect with his family and look forward to a new beginning.
Madam Johansen’s intervention was not limited to securing the release of the eight inmates.
As part of her humanitarian support, breastfeeding mothers in incarceration were also provided with diapers and other essential items to support them and their babies at the Correctional Centre.
