FBC and Sierra Leone Correctional Service forge Historic Partnership

Fourah Bay College(FBC) , a constituent campus of the University of Sierra Leone, has formalised a historic partnership with the Sierra Leone Correctional Service (SLCS) by signing a Memorandum of Understanding(MOU). The historic agreement sealed in the FBC Deputy Vice Chancellor’s Committee Room at the college’s main campus on Mount Aureol, aims to resurrect the tradition of community focused education. This collaborative venture, championed by the FBC Division of Extra-mural Studies, is designed to offer functional, accessible learning to both inmates and interested correctional service officers within the Freetown facilities. For a start, six-month certificate courses will be introduced, taught within the correctional centre by FBC facilitators. The initial programmes will include: 1. Certificate in Sports Administration and Management 2. Certificate in Social Work 3. Certificate in Adult Education and Community Development Studies 4. Certificate in Entrepreneurship Studies 5. Certificate in Youth in Development Work 6. Certificate in Sociology of Crimes In accordance with a key provision of the Memorandum of Understanding, the SLCS will provide dedicated lecture spaces. This establishes a formal higher educational environment within the correctional facilities in Freetown , delivering on the university’s fundamental commitment to community service, and directly supporting the SLCS’s mission of reform and rehabilitation. It also seeks to equip participants especially inmates with practical skills for self-reliance, employability, and responsible citizenship upon reintegration into society. During the signing ceremony, the significance of the partnership was highlighted by senior representatives from both institutions. Speaking on behalf of Fourah Bay College were Mrs. Elizabeth Kamara, Assistant Deputy Vice-Chancellor II; Mr. Brima Bah, Deputy Registrar; Mr. Augustine Garmoh, Acting Head of the Department of Extra-Mural Studies, and other senior colleagues . They were joined by representatives from the Sierra Leone Correctional Service, including Mr. Lamin Bangura, Director of Policy, Planning & Legal Services. Together, they emphasised that this initiative is more than an academic offering, representing instead a vital investment in human dignity, second chances, and national progress. Hence, the signatories to the MOU promised the swift and effective implementation of its provisions. ©️ Maa-Oul-La-Neine Tunis