Free At Last -127 Pretrial Detainees Set Free on UMC Intervention

MONROVIA – The Human Rights Monitor Department of the Liberia Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church (LAC/UMC) has successfully secured the release of 127 pretrial detainees from the Monrovia Central Prison (South Beach).

The releases took place between August 4 and September 29, 2025, following a series of legal representations, advocacy, and court interventions carried out by the Legal Aid Clinic Program under the leadership of Bro. Jefferson B. Knight, Director of the Human Rights Department, and Rev. Cllr. J. Abel Knight, Associate Director for Legal Affairs.

According to the department’s progress report submitted to Bishop Samuel J. Quire Jr., Resident Bishop of the Liberia Episcopal Area, the initiative was part of ongoing efforts to decongest the Monrovia Central Prison and ensure justice for indigent persons who have been held in prolonged pretrial detention. The Legal Aid team represented indigent defendants at various Magisterial Courts, including Monrovia City Court, Bushrod Island Magistrate Court, and Brewerville City Court.

Many of the released detainees had been incarcerated for months without trial, facing charges such as Theft of Property, Misapplication of Entrusted Property, Robbery, Criminal Mischief, and Burglary. Some inmates were released because complainants had abandoned their cases, while others benefited from motions filed for dismissal or transfer.

Notably, a mentally ill defendant accused of murder was successfully transferred from the Monrovia Central Prison to the J.S. Grant Mental Home at the J.F. Kennedy Medical Center for treatment following a motion granted by the court.

In addition to court representation, the Human Rights Department organized a one-day workshop for 24 participants and four facilitators drawn from 20 United Methodist Churches within the Monrovia District.

The workshop focused on topics including regionalization, marriage laws, and human rights awareness as defined by Liberian law.

Jefferson B. Knight reaffirmed the Liberia Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church’s commitment to ensuring justice, fairness, and human dignity through legal advocacy and continued collaboration with the judiciary and correctional institutions through the Department of Human Rights.