Liberia’s Assistant Justice Minister for Corrections and Rehabilitation, Atty. Gabriel F. Ndupellar has alarmed prison Overcrowdedness due to the rapid increase in the number of pre-trial detentions, calling for government and partners support to address challenges confronting Liberia’s Justice system.
Assistant Justice Minister, Atty. Gabriel F. Ndupellar said as of November 26, 2025, the Country’s 16 prison facilities account for 3,697 inmates of which 2,469 accounts for pre-trial detention representing 66.7%, something he described as disastrous for pre-trial detainees, highlighting a long-standing and severe issue in Liberia’s justice system.
Current reports and past data consistently indicate that a majority of Liberia’s prison population comprises pre-trial detainees due to systemic issues like case backlogs and lack of judicial resources.
Human Rights Advocates have raised concerns on prolonged detention without trial, which is a significant human rights issue, often resulting in detainees spending years behind bars before their cases are heard.
Monrovia Central Prison, the largest facility, was built for only 374 people but often holds over 1,500 inmates, exacerbating overcrowding and poor conditions.
Addressing a One-Day ACCESS TO JUSTICE Conference organized by the Lutheran Church in Liberia Trauma Healing and Reconciliation Program held on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, Assistant Justice Minister, Ndupellar attributed the Causes of prison overcrowdeness to weak justice system, delays in adjudicating cases, overuse of pre-trial detention and a lack of quicker modes of processing prisoners’ charges.
The Assistant Justice Minister for Corrections and Rehabilitation also indicated that inefficiencies in the judicial system, such as the lack of resident judges, which leads to prolonged detentions without trial or indictment being served including the inadequate existing prison infrastructure that has not expanded to meet the growing population’s needs as well as Poor working conditions and lack of funding for judicial officers, which can cause delays in case processing.
