In Africa, more than one million people are behind bars: 99% of them too poor to afford an attorney. Without any legal help, these inmates are languishing in prison. Whether they’re waiting for their trial or already serving their time, there is no question that severe cases of overpopulation in the prison system are growing throughout the country.
Filmed in Benin, Kenya and Malawi, “Freedom Inside the Walls” sheds light on the prison conditions in Africa and analyses the difficulties poor people face in obtaining legal help within their country. Since May 2000, paralegals working in the heart of Malawi’s criminal justice system have been trying to provide a pertinent response to the problem, inspiring others to initiate similar programs in countries such as Benin, Kenya, Ouganda and Tanzanie. The film follows the work of some of these paralegals in Malawai (Paralegal Advisory Service – PAS), Benin (Judicial Assistance to Detainees – PAJUDE), and Kenya (Kenya Prisons Paralegal Project – KPPP).
Genre: History & Society, Africa, Documentary
Director: Pierre Kogan
Co-Producers: Penal Reform International
Year: 2001
Length: 52 minutes
Languages: English, French
Partners: MaSSAJ, PAS, PAJUDE, KPPP, DFID (British Cooperation), The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Ford Foundation
Broadcasters: STV (Cameroon), Africa TV Network (USA), The French Cultural Center of Nairobi, International Conferences, TV5 Monde, France Ô, STV (Cameroon)
English
Français