Cameroon: 38 young inmates regain freedom after clearing court-ordered fines

A recent humanitarian effort in the Western region has enabled 38 young detainees in Bafoussam Central Prison to walk free after clearing court-ordered fines they could not previously afford.

The intervention marks the eighth such initiative since 2014 by the Françoise Puene Foundation for Freedom, an organization dedicated to assisting indigent detainees in regaining their liberty through financial support for court-imposed penalties.

Many of those released were adolescents and young adults aged 16 to 28, whose inability to pay fines had led to prolonged detention beyond their original sentences.

« Throughout the country, we observed that Bafoussam Central Prison was severely overcrowded, primarily with young individuals—some as young as 17 or 18 years old. The oldest among them was 28,» says Françoise Puene, founder and president of the foundation.

The mandatory payment of court-ordered fines is a major contributor to prison overcrowding in Cameroon, as many detainees remain incarcerated long after serving their sentences simply because they lack the means to settle these financial obligations.

« Our prisons are overcrowded, and some detainees cannot afford to pay their court-ordered fines, preventing their release,» admits Adray Epente Tazeu, Secretary General of the Western Regional Governor’s office.

Efred Ngayeu, one of the freed prisoners, expressed his relief: « I’m truly grateful they paid my fine. I spent nine months behind bars instead of the six-month sentence I received.»

Under the Cameroonian Penal Procedure Code, convicts must fulfill court-mandated financial restitutions or repayments upon completing their sentences. The fines paid for these 38 individuals ranged from 40,000 to 150,000 Central African francs—approximately 60 to 230 euros.