THE government has tendered for designs and supervision services for the construction of prisons at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara.

Prison officials said that the new holding areas will be divided based on the severity of crimes. Under the Ministry of Public Security, in an advertisement placed in the local dailies, bidders are required to submit technical and financial proposals which must cover travelling expenses and reimbursement under the National Competitive Bidding procedure under the procurement Act 2003.

The prison population increased in the aftermath of a fire which gutted the Camp Street Prison on Sunday, July 09, 2017 leaving over 1000 inmates displaced. A new holding area had been tarmacked and roofed to temporarily house approximately 450 prisoners who were transferred from the Georgetown Prison as a result of the conflagration.
Following the fire, Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan had said that the government will need approximately half a billion dollars to rehabilitate the Georgetown Prison and pay for the services utilised.

In October last, Dellon Blake, 35, of Kamuni Creek, Demerara River, while an inmate at the Lusignan Prison , East Coast Demerara, escaped from holding bay two in which he was placed. Blake is charged with the offence of rape and was admitted to prison July 24, 2017.
Sources said Blake might have used a bed sheet to hoist himself, separate the barbed wire and scale the wall.