A prison officer was recently ‘chocked and robbed’ at the Georgetown Prison while another one had a improvised weapon placed on his chest by an inmate, Chief Prison Officer Roddy Dehart has disclosed.

Dehart made this disclosure Thursday at the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Georgetown Prison Riot, as reports continue to indicate that the prisoners have taken control over sections of the jail house at Camp Street.

According to Dehart, since the absence of the Deputy Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels, the situation has worsened.

Last week, Officer in Charge of the Georgetown Prison, Senior Superintendent Kevin Pilgrim told the CoI that “intimidation” is the order of the day at the penitentiary.

“There is a…stronger gang culture now more than ever and as it is that poses problems in itself,” the Officer in Charge had said, positing that the shortage of wardens does not help the situation.

With a population of approximately 1000 inmates and an increase in the numbers of gangs, Superintendent Pilgrim said prison officers are now “timid.” Read full details in Friday’s edition of the Guyana Chronicle.