The Judiciary is moving fast to respond to rising drug offences. On October 20, 2025, the Chief Justice assigned seven judges and four magistrates to handle drug cases in the Western Area and provinces. Courts will now sit on Saturdays. This aims to speed up trials and reduce backlogs.
The move signals urgency, but it also raises concern. More court sittings mean more convictions, yet without working rehabilitation centres, most offenders will end up in already overcrowded prisons. According to Truth Media, since July 2025, government rehab centres in Hastings and Gondama have remained closed due to lack of funding. The planned centre in Daru is still unopened. Since the article was published, it has been announced that funding would be provided for rehabilitation at the Mental Home at Kissy.
The paper further states that only 400 people have received treatment since the President’s 2024 emergency declaration, though over 5,000 need help. Some on waiting lists have died. These figures show a dangerous imbalance. The state is investing in punishment while neglecting recovery.
History offers lessons. The U.S. “War on Drugs” in the 1980s and Colombia’s anti-cartel campaigns show that crackdowns alone do not solve drug crises. They often drive addiction underground and fill prisons. Sierra Leone risks repeating this pattern.
Addiction in Sierra Leone is linked to unemployment, trauma, and poverty. Locking users away ignores the roots of the problem. Without rehab and social support, relapse is likely. We need a system that treats both the offence and the illness.
Director of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services at the Ministry of Social Welfare, Ansumana Konneh’s call for sustained rehabilitation is spot on. The government’s pledge to fund 40 admissions at Daru is symbolic, not sufficient. Promises must turn into budgets. Civil society, NGOs, and development partners should help rebuild rehabilitation and prevention programmes.
The Judiciary’s push for efficiency is commendable, but justice must heal as well as punish. If we focus only on prosecution, we risk criminalising a public health issue. The country needs a balance between swift trials for the traffickers, not just the minnows, and sustained care for users.
Our fight against drugs will only work if both the courtroom and the clinic are strong. Until then, we are not curing addiction. We are only containing it.