I took this photograph during Juvenile Court in Freetown. The child suspects are seated either on the floor or a bench, in front of the Magistrate (judge) who leads the court.
Sierra Leone has been devastated by a decade of civil war which caused destruction for the country and its people. Moreover, the country has gone through corrupt governments and leaders since its independence from Britain in 1961. This prolonged conflict has had severe consequences, especially for children.  So many children have been orphaned, traumatized and injured. Homeless children, displaced from rural areas, end up living in the Freetown streets, engaging in crimes as a means of survival. Juvenile crime is rising in the aftermath of the conflict.
Children suspected of committing a law offense are taken to the police station first. Then a child would be taken to the Juvenile Court for the trial. During the time of waiting before the trial, there are two possible options.  Children who have parents stay home. Children without parents would be taken to the Remand Home, which is a place of safe custody for children while the court is going on. The duration of stay in Remand Home is a maximum of three months. Although the officers do not want child suspects to use the word prison for this institution, the conditions are too poor to call it anything else but prison.