Former officers of the Sierra Leone Prison Service and the Sierra Leone Correctional Service have come together to form the Sierra Leone Ex-Correctional Officers Association (SLECOA), an organisation aimed at promoting the welfare and unity of former correctional officers across the country.
The association was formally registered on 5 June 2026, bringing together former junior and senior officers who previously served in the Sierra Leone Prison Service and the Sierra Leone Correctional Service before retiring, resigning or leaving the service under other circumstances.
The initiative is the brainchild of former Director General of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service, Mr. Sanpha Bilo Kamara, and the current Director General, Mr. Joseph John Senessie. It was coordinated by former Deputy Director General, Mr. Dennis Harman, following a Meet and Greet ceremony held on 5 November 2025 at the Correctional Canteen on Pyke Street in Freetown.
According to the organisers, the establishment of SLECOA is intended to provide a common platform through which former correctional officers can maintain their bonds, support one another and contribute to the development of the correctional sector.
Among its key objectives, the association seeks to foster unity among retired and former officers and provide assistance to members in addressing their social and physical welfare needs.
The association also intends to serve as a link between former and serving correctional officers by facilitating the transfer of institutional knowledge and experience from former officers to those currently serving.
Another major objective of SLECOA is to advocate for penal and correctional reforms. The association also plans to engage the Government of Sierra Leone on issues affecting former officers, including the review of their terms and conditions of service and post-service benefits, particularly pensions.
The association is expected to be officially launched following engagements with Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, who chairs the Sierra Leone Correctional Council, and Mr. Morie Lengor, Esq., Minister of Internal Affairs, which is the supervising ministry of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service.
In a statement, the association appealed to members of the public, institutions and well-meaning individuals to support SLECOA as it begins its activities.
Interested former officers and members of the public who wish to engage with the association can visit its Secretariat at the Old Correctional Headquarters Building on Jomo Kenyatta Road, New England, and Freetown.
For further information, the Secretary General can be contacted on +232 79257972, while the Organizing Secretary can be reached on +232 77501623.
