The National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) registered 100 inmates for National Identification Numbers and National ID cards during an identity registration outreach exercise conducted with the Sierra Leone Correctional Service (SLCS) in Freetown.

Table Of Content

Inmates selected from three centres
Cards issued without charge
Link to correctional reform

The exercise was held on 17 September 2026 at the Sierra Leone Correctional Service Headquarters and formed part of activities marking International Identity Day. It focused on including people in correctional custody in Sierra Leone’s national identity system.

Inmates selected from three centres

Susan B. Koker, Deputy Director General of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service, said the inmates were drawn from the Male Reintegration Centre, the Female Correctional Centre and the Pademba Road Correctional Centre.

According to Koker, the selected group included inmates nearing the end of their sentences, people who had never been registered and others whose earlier attempts to obtain identification had not produced the required documentation.

The registration is expected to make it easier for participating inmates to establish their identities and prepare for their return to society. Koker also linked National ID cards to opportunities for opening bank accounts, including accounts where money earned through the Correctional Service’s earning scheme could be kept.

Cards issued without charge

Mohamed Mubashir Massaquoi, Director General of the NCRA, said National ID cards were being issued to inmates free of charge, with the cost covered by Government.

Massaquoi said the initiative reflected the principle that every person should have an identity regardless of their circumstances. He also said recognized legal identities should remain with inmates after they leave correctional facilities.

In addition to supporting access to essential services, education and employment, Massaquoi associated national identification with the ability to open bank accounts and conduct legitimate financial transactions after release. These benefits were presented by officials as part of the broader purpose of the outreach.

Link to correctional reform

Joseph J. Senesie, Director General of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service, described the exercise as an important development in the institution’s correctional reform process, particularly in addressing identity and reintegration needs.

Senesie said biometric registration and National Identification Numbers could help inmates overcome documentation barriers after completing their sentences. He also said the partnership with NCRA would align inmate records with the national identity system and improve efficiency and security.

Senesie noted that the Correctional Service began shifting in 2014 from a predominantly custodial institution towards a model focused on custody, rehabilitation and reintegration. He further said biometric registration systems and the National Inmates Identity Management System had been piloted in correctional centres in 2018 and 2020.

The latest outreach is part of wider efforts by NCRA and the Sierra Leone Correctional Service to ensure that people in custody remain included in the country’s identity system and are better positioned to transition back into their communities.

NCRA has also decentralized its services and deployed mobile registration teams to underserved communities, Massaquoi said.