Douala: Archbishop Samuel Kleda of Douala has raised serious concerns about prison conditions in Cameroon, calling attention to forced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, long periods of detention without trial, corruption and the degrading treatment of prisoners.
In a pastoral letter on prison conditions published at the end of June, the Archbishop said the treatment of prisoners reflects the moral condition of society. He reminded Christians that caring for people in prison is closely connected to the teaching of Jesus Christ.
“The way we treat prisoners is a measure of our relationship with God,” Archbishop Kleda said. He added that ignoring the suffering of prisoners means ignoring Christ, while working to reduce their suffering and restore justice is a way of serving Christ.
The pastoral letter draws inspiration from the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, in which Jesus says, “I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Archbishop Kleda explained that his message was not written to create controversy. Instead, he said, it came from a sense of pastoral responsibility, compassion and a desire to speak the truth about the suffering of prisoners and detainees.
According to the Archbishop, there are serious problems surrounding the arrest, detention and imprisonment of many citizens in Cameroon. He said some people are taken away without proper arrest warrants and are held in secret locations, leaving their families without information about where they are being kept.
He described situations in which people are reportedly arrested by officers in uniform or people wearing civilian clothes. Their phones are switched off and their families are unable to contact them. Relatives then move from police stations to courts and military barracks in search of information, but often face denial, silence, indifference or threats.
Archbishop Kleda said holding people secretly in unknown or unofficial locations is a clear violation of the law. He called for respect for legal procedures and the basic rights of every person, regardless of the accusations against them.
The Archbishop also painted a disturbing picture of conditions inside official prisons. He said access to proper medical treatment is extremely limited. Prison clinics are poorly equipped, while medical workers struggle to meet the needs of large numbers of inmates.
He warned that infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, scabies and typhoid, can spread easily in overcrowded and unhealthy conditions. Prisoners living with illnesses such as HIV or diabetes may also experience a rapid decline in their health when medicines and regular treatment are unavailable.
Food is another major concern. Archbishop Kleda said meals provided to prisoners are often lacking in essential nutrients and calories. For prisoners who are already sick or physically weak, inadequate food can make their health problems even worse.
As a result, many prisoners depend on relatives to bring them food and other essential supplies. Those without family support may be forced to rely on informal and sometimes corrupt systems inside prisons simply to survive.
The Archbishop expressed particular concern about the treatment of women and children. He said women in detention often lack access to basic feminine hygiene products. Some mothers are also held in prison with their babies, raising serious concerns about the development and future of children growing up behind prison walls.
He also highlighted the situation of minors in detention. Children and young people, he said, should be separated from adult prisoners and given suitable education, protection and rehabilitation. However, some minors are reportedly left without proper support and can become vulnerable to abuse, exploitation and violence.
Archbishop Kleda linked many of these problems to corruption and weaknesses in the justice system. He strongly criticised the widespread use of pre trial detention, saying a measure that should be used only in exceptional circumstances has become common practice.
Some people, he said, remain in detention for years without their cases being properly heard. This means that people who are legally presumed innocent may spend long periods living under the same difficult conditions as convicted prisoners.
The Archbishop described this as a double punishment. People lose their freedom while also being denied the right to a fair trial within a reasonable period of time.
In his appeal, Archbishop Kleda stressed that prisons should not simply be places of punishment and suffering. He said imprisonment should protect society while also giving convicted people the opportunity to reflect on their actions, change their lives and prepare to return to society.
He called on government authorities, judicial officials, prison administrators, security agencies and society as a whole to respect the dignity of every prisoner. He stressed that even when a person has committed a crime, that individual remains a human being with fundamental rights.
The pastoral letter is a strong appeal for reform of Cameroon’s prison and justice systems. It calls for an end to secret detention, better medical care and food in prisons, stronger protection for women and minors, faster judicial procedures and serious action against corruption.
Archbishop Kleda’s message also carries a wider moral appeal. By connecting the suffering of prisoners with the teachings of Jesus, he urged Christians and all people of goodwill not to remain silent when human dignity is violated. His central message is that justice, compassion and respect must remain at the heart of any prison system, because the way society treats those behind bars reveals its commitment to human dignity and the common good.