After spending a day with inmates at the Sanniquelli Central Prison in Nimba County, FrontPageAfrica's Selma Lomax brings an account of what is like to be serving life sentences and studying for certificate in vocational trade behind the high walls of incarceration
SANNIQUELLI, Nimba County - Jeremiah Forkpah (not his real name) sat quietly in a corner of the prison library as if he didn't care about every other thing that was happening around him. He held a textbook close to his face and he was so engrossed in his reading as if his future depended on what was in the text.
He devoted so much attention to the book that one would likely think he had an important exam the next day.
No, Forkpah didn't have an exam to write the following day. He is, first of all, an inmate of the Sanniquelli Central Prison in Nimba County sentenced to life imprisonment.
But then, being a lifer doesn't translate to hopelessness. To him, his hopes and aspiration are not worthless because he is expected to spend the rest of his life in jail. For Forkpah, he would set out to achieve what he wants to achieve and no walls of prison would deter him!
For many who may not have seen the inside of the high walls, it is likely to be a hellhole blazing with fire and fury. But for some of the inmates, this is where dreams begin to come true.
Within the main prison yard, a stranger would immediately notice that very few of the inmates wear the accustomed orange uniforms.
This reporter was quickly enlightened that this was because only a few of them were actually convicted, inmates. Most of them are awaiting trial.
On a wall inside the large, menacing main gate that seemed to warn outsiders to stay off, a board showed that out of the 275 inmates housed in the prison, more than 80 are awaiting trial, many of whom have no idea if their cases would ever go to trial or which decade their protracted trials would ever be concluded.
But despite the uncertain circumstances in which these men have found themselves, some of them have continued to advance their education with a surprising doggedness. Forkpah is one of them!
While many of the awaiting trial inmates have simply refused to partake in the educational and vocational programs within the prison (because they believe they have not been convicted and don't see why they should take part in 'convicts' programs') inmates serving life sentences have simply immersed themselves in studies, gathering up as many vocational certificates as possible in the process.
Forkpah's story is one that epitomizes hope and faith in the face of hopelessness. Even though any other person in his position might be depressed, he held on to hope of freedom with doggedness and high spirits as if he already got a signed letter affecting his release.
When this reporter got to the prison, officials had mandated that inmates' anonymity be ensured. But Forkpah had personally requested that his picture be taken along with his actual name.
"I have nothing to hide or be ashamed of. I am not the same person who entered this prison seven years ago," he told our correspondent.
Forkpah is almost six feet with no sign of wretchedness whatsoever. His orange shirt and blue trousers were especially clean. He wore a pair of white tennis shoes that had no single speck of dirt. One could have mistaken him for a millionaire, whose wrong turn landed in prison.
"If I am lucky to be released from prison, I would continue with my education. If I am not released anytime soon, I would go ahead with my education here.
"I believe everything in life is about setting objectives. I believe one day I would leave this prison and I have decided that I don't want to leave the way I came. I must be better."
FrontPageAfrica learned that Forkpah has come to be seen as a respected inmate, whom others within the prison yard look up to. He is also their general pastor, leading a church within the prison.
The encounter with him was warm as he spoke with a sage-like demeanor. Nothing Forkpah aid showed that he was concerned that getting a job might be a problem if he eventually leaves the prison considering his history.
Unfortunately, in the likelihood of being released, inmates like Forkpah would have to confront the specter of the country's frightening labor market.
'Terrible' food
For the sick and weak, incarceration can be tantamount to a sentence to death.
"The two main problems in prisons in Liberia are congestion and lack of food," said a prison guard who requested anonymity. Prison officials say the prison holds up to three times its capacity.
In such conditions, just surviving is a daily battle, according to 38-year-old Joshua Flomo who was condemned to four years in prison in 2015 for armed robbery.
"You fight for a scrap of blanket, a piece of soap, a bit of food or medicine if you get sick," said Flomo.
"Prisoners fight for space on the floor to sleep, they fight not to become depressed, and not to be victims of violence. They fight to survive."
Some of the inmates at the Sanniquelli Central Prison narrated harrowing experiences when FrontPageAfrica visited the place.
"The food we eat is not fit for dogs," said an inmate who requested not to be identified," he said.
"They give us watery meal a day and is not regular. Many of us try to find other ways of feeding ourselves because the food is just tasteless. We're dying slowly from hunger.
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"We have nothing to wash our toilet. All we use is ash to try and reduce the smell. I have not spent two weeks here without having one infection or the other," he added.
"We do various labor in this prison to make ends meet. But you cannot survive here unless you have someone from outside who attends to you every week."
Although efforts by this reporter to reach the female inmates were not successful, some prison officials who spoke with FrontPageAfrica said their situation is not different.
Conditions favor disease
Prison conditions weigh heavily on the detainees, often causing depression and other psychological problems, according to one human right activist. And prison personnel are not trained to handle such issues, he said.
To survive in their environment, some prisoners have taken things into their own hands.
"They have created a veritable government," he said. "One prisoner is president, another police chief, another head of justice." He added that some prison officials see the initiative as a positive thing because it helps foster order in their cells.
