When the food ran out for inmates at Liberia's main prison earlier this month it exposed the terrible conditions that have long existed in the country's jails.
The lack of supplies affected all of the country's 15 prisons, forcing two to stop taking any new inmates.
It was only after at least two days that a local philanthropist and a charity stepped in to make up for the shortfall, but the wider problems - overcrowding and a lack of funding - have not gone away.
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At Monrovia Central Prison, which overlooks the Atlantic Ocean, about 1,400 people are crammed into a space that was initially built for less than 400.
The outside of the prison has been given a facelift and the shining light grey walls could mislead passers-by into thinking that things are equally bright inside.
The food crisis gave a group of convicts, who briefly met journalists during a ceremony to open a new visitors' hut, a rare opportunity to vent their frustration.
Now in his third year in prison, one man, convicted on rape charges, hissed repeatedly as he explained the frustration over the lack of food.
"The government feeds us one plate [of rice] every day; one time a day," he said.
As he spoke, over a dozen others nodded, the anger and frustration visible on their faces.
The man in charge of Monrovia Central Prison, Varney G Lake, admitted that the overcrowding alone amounted to a "human rights violation".
He also decried the poor infrastructure and the lack of well-maintained facilities in an interview with a local newspaper, FrontPage Africa.
When the food shortage struck, Upjit Singh Sachdeva, a well-known businessman living in Monrovia, who had already been providing some food from his resources, rushed to the city's prison with emergency rations to calm the anxiety.
Better known as "Jeety", he told the BBC that his assistance was "intended to help with the inmates' transformation process".
Besides, he said his religious beliefs mean that "when you have food, you share with others".
His latest gesture was followed by other interventions including one from advocacy group Prison Fellowship Liberia which delivered rice and oil.
But in the long run, the authorities cannot continue to rely on charity to sustain the prison service.
'All our prisons are obsolete'
The national director of prisons, Rev S Sainleseh Kwaidah, confirmed that the lack of proper food for prisoners was one of the many challenges he faces.
He blamed the shortfall on delays in the government releasing funds that should be supplied monthly.
For example, the money intended for food in September was only received after Christmas, he told the BBC.
As a result, prison superintendents had to "go on borrowing money here and there" to feed inmates.
One of the problems, Rev Kwaidah said, was that the only item in the national budget dealing with prisons was labelled "prison subsistence".
"[The] prison budget must include feeding, accommodation, medication, operation, maintenance, refurbishment for wear-and-tear.
"All the prisons we've got in this country now are obsolete, these include the Monrovia Central Prison; they need to be repaired," he added, the emotion clearly audible in his voice.
