From Prison to Farmland: Inmates Cultivate 380 Acres in Mafanta
Inmates at Mafanta Correctional Centre in Magburaka have cultivated 380 acres of farmland as part of efforts by the Sierra Leone Correctional Service (SLCS) to boost national food production and support the rehabilitation of prisoners.
Chief Minister David Moinina Sengeh disclosed the development in a post highlighting the contributions of public institutions to the government’s Feed Salone initiative. He said inmates provided the labour for the farming activities while receiving agricultural training to equip them with practical skills they can use after their release.
Sengeh said the initiative reflects the government’s broader approach of encouraging public institutions to produce food for their own consumption rather than depend entirely on external supplies.
He also cited the homegrown school feeding programme, which he said accounts for about 40 per cent of rice procured by the World Food Programme (WFP), as well as the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces’ cultivation of nearly 5,000 acres of rice, maize and other crops.
The farming activities at Mafanta form part of broader efforts to strengthen food self-sufficiency within correctional facilities while providing inmates with opportunities to acquire practical agricultural skills.
The SLCS has previously identified agriculture as a means of reducing the cost of feeding inmates, improving food security and supporting rehabilitation through vocational training. In July 2025, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that inmates at Mafanta were already engaged in crop farming and livestock activities.
The initiative places correctional farming within the wider Feed Salone agenda while highlighting the importance of rehabilitation in preparing inmates for productive lives after their release.
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