–Bong County Attorney Encourages Families To Bail their Relatives
By Rancy Clarke
September 17, 2026
Bong County Attorney Jonathan Flomo is urging families of pretrial detainees at the Gbarnga Central Prison to take advantage of Liberia’s bail law to help reduce overcrowding at the facility.
Cllr. Flomo’s concern is predicated upon the overcrowdedness of the Gbarnga Central Prison, which currently hosts 440 inmates, instead of the capacity of 130 inmate intended for the prison.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Atty. Flomo said some detainees charged with bailable offenses continue to remain behind bars because their families are either unaware that they are eligible for bail or have not taken the necessary legal steps to secure their release.
According to him, families of eligible detainees can help ease the pressure on the prison by pursuing the appropriate legal process to obtain bail.
Atty. Flomo attributed the overcrowding at the facility to Liberia’s growing population and the increasing number of criminal cases, saying the current capacity of correctional facilities is no longer sufficient to accommodate the number of people being detained.
He is also calling on the government to expand and improve correctional facilities across the country to meet the needs of Liberia’s growing population and strengthen the country’s justice system.
It can be recalled that during the opening of the August Term of Court, Presiding Judge Joe Barkon of the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court disclosed that the Gbarnga Central Prison, which was constructed to accommodate approximately 130 inmates, is currently holding about 440 people.
The disclosure highlights the significant gap between the prison’s intended capacity and the number of detainees currently being held at the facility.
