Sano, Sierra Leone — Women Prisoners Freed Through Football-Based Reform Project. Sano, Sierra Leone — March 9, 2026 — Four women prisoners in Sierra Leone have been granted early release following an intervention by the Football for Reform Initiative, a programme that harnesses the power of football to promote social change and rehabilitation. Among the inmates who walked free was Sento, a mother of two, who had been serving a one-year sentence for loitering. “.
I was arrested for loitering. They said they did not want anyone around the makeshift structure because criminals and drug users usually sit around those places, “she explained to Africanews.
The women’s release was facilitated by the Football for Reform Initiative, a gender empowerment programme that has been working with the Freetown Women’s Correctional Center for the past five years.
During this time, the initiative has secured the release of approximately a hundred female inmates, according to Isha Johansen, its founder. Officials commented on the matter.
The women’s release comes at a time when over 200 women are currently held in female facilities across Sierra Leone, serving various fines and sentences.
According to Susan Baby Koker, Deputy Director General of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service, the lack of rehabilitation tools such as beads, sewing machines, plumbing machines, and carpentry machines hinders effective rehabilitation efforts.
The Football for Reform initiative is now advocating for increased legal representation for women in detention across Sierra Leone. Supporters of the initiative believe it represents a compassionate approach to rehabilitation and a chance for the women to reintegrate into society.
Further details are expected as the initiative continues to advocate for the rights and rehabilitation of women in detention.
