Corrections Palace Fence Collapsed Following Flash Flood In Zwedru

By Paul Rancy, Grand Gedeh County Correspondent  

ZWEDRU, June 22 (LINA) – A segment of the outer fence at the National Palace of Corrections in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County has fallen due to flash flood which was occasioned by a heavy downpour of rain that occurred Thursday, June 20, 2024.

Officials at the facility as well as other county officials who spoke to the Liberia News Agency (LINA) following the incident, alarmed that the situation is a potential security threat and that in the absence of a fixed barrier, there may be difficulties in securing the 201 prisoners that are currently in detention.

Prison Director, Chrispin Doe, alerted authorities of the county to immediately respond to the situation – his call necessitated a visit to the scene on Friday, by the County's Administrative Officer, Henry Zonweay.

At the prison, Director Doe affirmed that the situation may pose serious security threats to the environment and county.

According to Doe, some officers of the Liberia National Police have joined Correction Officers to tentatively provide security for the prison’s perimeters in a bid to deter prisoners from escaping.

So far there has been no incident of escape, he told LINA Correspondent, while calling on the local government and the Ministry of Justice to intervene to prevent further unbearable situations at the prison.

However, County Administrative Officer, Zonweay, also expressed regrets over the situation and maintained that swift intervention is required to address the looming security threats being posed due to the collapsed segment of the prison walls.

He pledged for the support of the local authority in ensuring the  provision of a quick solution to the problem.

The National Palace of Corrections in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County, has been faced with huge unresolved challenges over the years. Key among them is the lack of electricity and mobility as well as the shortage of water.

First opened in 1979, the maximum-security National Palace of Correction, came under public rebuke in September 2023 after consignment of illegal drugs and contrabands were confiscated from several inmates at the facility.