Pademba men’s prison in Sierra Leone’s capital was built 84 years ago for 220 inmates; it now houses more than 1,900. It holds minors who arrived there due to living on the street or stealing a mobile phone. They do not have previous criminal record, nor have been they tried, and they remain there without their families knowing about it. They share cells with adults and suffer all kinds of abuse.
Chennor and John are two former inmates. As imprisoned minors they suffered all sorts of humiliations: one meal a day, no water, physical, verbal and sexual violence. They survived Pademba and saved their lives thanks to the help of salesian missionaries.
Pademba Prison is just one example. Every year, more than a million minors worldwide are deprived of their freedom, and for many of them, we are their only hope.