Amnesty International report on prisons in Liberia - in pictures

A prisoner holds the bars of his cell door in Monrovia central prison in Liberia. Up to 1,700 people are incarcerated in Liberia's 15 prisons. Of these, only 300 have been convicted of a criminal offence. About 80% of inmates are pre-trial detainees. Cells have one small barred window on the door and another that faces outside
Photograph: Glenna Gordon

Although, at the discretion of guards, prisoners can move in and out of their cells with reasonable ease, overcrowding is a problem. Amnesty found cell blocks designed to hold 374 inmates were housing as many as 839. The ministry of justice is piloting a parole and probation system in an effort to alleviate the problem, but one Liberian NGO worker told Amnesty: 'For every prisoner they release, they bring in five'
Photograph: Glenna Gordon

Many inmates say they receive one meal a day consisting of rice, the Liberian staple, and sauce. Health experts have expressed concern about the lack of vegetables and protein in the diet, as many inmates complain of symptoms pointing to malnutrition
Photograph: Glenna Gordon

Drawings and messages, most written in a black powder made from the ground innards of used batteries, cover the walls. There are few windows, and fewer lights
Photograph: Glenna Gordon

The bathrooms are dark, wet and dirty and also lack plumbing. There is no running water, which means the inmates are unable to bathe regularly
Photograph: Glenna Gordon

There are about 50 women in prison in the whole of Liberia. At Monrovia, their block is less crowded than the men's, but no cleaner. Women complained of the absence of clean water, as well as a lack of privacy in the toilets and for bathing
Photograph: Glenna Gordon

Cells in block D are approximately two by three metres in size. Eight men routinely sleep in these cells, with no access to the bathroom between 4pm and 8am
Photograph: Amnesty International

Cells intended for two to four inmates are filled with 10 or more people. Each cell has a maximum of six beds; a lack of mattresses often forces prisoners to sleep in shifts
Photograph: Glenna Gordon

A hammock, improvised from sacking and slung high above the floor. Prisoners often fall in their sleep, injuring themselves
Photograph: Glenna Gordon

There are only two water pumps for inmates, who take turns filling buckets or jerry cans and sending them up to the cells. Drinking water comes from contaminated seawater on the edge of Monrovia
Photograph: Glenna Gordon

Prisoners at Monrovia place their water bottles through the cell windows so they can be filled by inmates who are allowed to go outside Photograph: Amnesty International

Under Liberian law, inmates must undertake a basic medical assessment. It is understood this isn't happening. The on-site clinic provides free healthcare, but often lacks essential medicines and qualified staff to administer treatment
Photograph: Glenna Gordon

Prisoners have a high exposure to disease while incarcerated. There is little protection from mosquitoes and, given the high prevalence of malaria and other insect-borne diseases across Liberia, these conditions have serious health implications. The prison's clinic has some drug supplies, but inmates claim they are rarely administered. Many prisoners have to be transferred to John F Kennedy hospital for treatment
Photograph: Amnesty International

There are no separate institutions for young people convicted of crimes. Juvenile cells at Monrovia do not have beds and there are often not enough foam mattresses Photograph: Amnesty International

A bathroom in a cell for juveniles shows the unsanitary conditions in which many inmates below the age of 18 are obliged to clean themselves
Photograph: Amnesty International