"Abandon all hope, those who enter here" The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri.
I know him very well.
He's the deputy commander of the prison, Mr. Sillah.
He was not very good to us. He was a very bad man.
-A bad man? -Yes.
I love my job. I've been doing this job since I was 19 years old.
I love it because it is the only job I've learned.
I think I love this job.
HELL
My name is Chennor. I'm a gangster.
I lost my father when I was a baby.
I didn't know my father and I didn't know my mother either.
I've been living on the streets for more than 16 or 17 years.
We have arms, guns, knives...
Big knives.
When we say: "Give me your money", if you don't give us the money,
we chop you!
We sleep on top of the graves. We don't have any other place to sleep.
Some people call me the Sniper. I bite like a viper.
The boss among the bosses. That's me.
I haven't killed, but I shot someone and left him close to death.
They put me in Pademba Road for robbing, fighting, malicious damage,
robbery with violence, robbery with aggravation.
When you are in prison all your rights disappear,
because, guilty or not, you're a bad person.
This prisoner on my right was once a condemned inmate.
Due to a presidential pardon,
his sentence was reduced from death to life imprisonment.
His case is murder.
I've nothing to do with that murder!
Do you declare yourself innocent or guilty?
I didn't do it.
Do you want to kill yourself?
No! I do my 5 daily prayers.
I am the Iman here in prison.
I'm in the hands of God.
I've trained so many inmates.
It is not easy for us to be with the inmates.
But we cope and try to live with them.
It was a fight.
My neck, as you can see, my ears... I have a lot of damage.
It was a fight between me and one of my friends. I hit him hard.
The police came and arrested me, took me to the police station.
From the court to the prison, to Pademba.
They gave me 4 years.
When I went to prison, I was 15 years old.
My name is Mohamed Sesay. I am 16.
My big brother was fighting, so I went to help him.
We left the other guy badly injured.
-Have you been to court? -No, I haven't been to court.
-Do you have indictment papers? -No, sir.
-How long have you been here already? -10 months now.
-Do you have any fear? -I don't love this place.
There is so much suffering here.
There are many innocent people in prison.
For example, we have some boys.
Sure there are minors in prison.
Some of the boys... They use them like a woman.
"Hey, young man! I want you to be my wife."
When someone wants to have sex with you in prison,
they put medicine in your food to make you sleep.
Diazepam tablets.
They're very small, so they can mix them with the food and drink.
Lots of them, maybe 10 or 7 or 8.
They really make you sleep, so you can't do anything.
You fall asleep and even if they do something to you, you can't move.
You can just feel.
I felt that someone was having sex with me,
but I didn't have any strength, I couldn't move.
When it's finished and you wake up, you ask:
"Who did this to me?" No one answers.
Yes, it happened to me, several times.
So I decided if I had the chance to kill myself, I would kill myself.
When I was in Pademba Road prison,
I had to fight on my own, I didn't have anyone to help me.
I lived in jail as a dog, as a gangster.
-Where is the other one? -Face!
This area is for the condemned.
This one's condemned, he has life imprisonment, condemned, condemned...
My name is Lamin Koroma. I am in Pademba prison for murder.
A guy beat me then ran away. I went to look for my friends.
Then, the fight started. Someone beat him with a stick and he died.
-Were you involved? -Yes.
-How old were you then? -I was 16, now I am 18.
-Did you hit the man? -No.
-Why did the police catch you? -For conspiring.
How do you declare yourself, guilty or innocent?
Not guilty.
I'm Ibrahim Barrie. 19 years old.
You're sentenced to death. What did you do?
I'm accused of murder.
-What did you do? -I didn't do anything.
-You didn't kill him? -I didn't kill him.
-So, who killed the guy? -A group of friends.
-A group of friends? -Yes.
They killed him and ran away. I was caught.
Do you declare yourself guilty or innocent?
Not guilty.
-Do you have a lawyer? -No.
People die in Pademba Road every day.
One of my best friends...
I saw him die. With no medication, nothing... He was sick.
I felt so bad for him.
My dream is to get some of my friends out of Pademba Road prison.
Some of them are underage. They are 16, 15...
They are not supposed to be in Pademba Road prison.
Hello?
I'll come back to the prison.
Yes, on Monday. OK, bye.
I'm working in Pademba Road prison as junior staff,
trying to help the young people in the prison.
-Chennor! -Bless you!
Bigger! How are you?
-Many friends here, right? -Lots of friends, long-time struggle.
I remember lots of them.
So I'm feeling sad...
I always hold back the tears, but it's not easy.
-I've spent 21 years in prison. -Cover your face!
Who can help me? I've been here for 21 years.
-I have a rash. -We don't have soap to wash!
We don't have clothes, we don't have anything!
No food, no toothbrushes... We don't have anything!
We need help. We need freedom.
I've been here 12 years already, with no trial.
There's no justice in Sierra Leone and there's no justice in prison.
We are suffering.
-How do you feel about jail? -I don't feel good.
One-by-one. What happened to you?
I don't feel well, I hardly eat, my body hurts all over.
There are 9 of us in one cell!
He's feeling pain in his side, because he's always tied up in the same place.
I was here once too.
In jail nothing is easy, there's a lot of suffering.
It's life or death.
If anyone hurts you, go and talk to the official.
I'll tell you which one.
If you don't get a good response, look for Don Bosco.
I'll do what I can to get you out.
You're underage, you shouldn't be here in these conditions.
Don't cry.
My son, I'm your father.
I want to tell you a little story about my past.
I lived on the streets for a long time. I was a gangster, a thief.
I was in prison for so many years.
I don't want this story to repeat itself again.
I promise I'll take care of you and your mum my whole life.
I'll never fail you.
Mohamed Mansaray.
-Mohamed Mansaray. -Yes, sir.
-Mohamed Mansaray, what is your crime? -Frequency, sir.
-Bail? -One million leones.
I'm happy for you, my friend!
I wish you good luck.