…sleeping warders blamed; under close arrest as police launch probe

IN the aftermath of three prisoners bolting from the Lusignan Prison in the wee hours of Monday morning, Director of Prisons (ag), Gladwin Samuels said the warders were either sleeping in their watch towers or were derelict in their duties that resulted in the escape.

On the run are murder accused Travis Evans, age 23 of ‘C’ Field Sophia, Georgetown; Sudesh Dyal, 23, remanded for Break and Enter, Larceny and escape from custody; Dexroy Pollard, 29, of Wales Village for Break and Enter and Larceny.

The Guyana Police Force is currently putting all measures in place to locate and apprehend the escaped prisoners. The prison director said while the prison remains overcrowded, adjustments were made to ensure that the prison officers are not overburdened and stretched beyond the normal working hours.

“The escape actually occurred at 4:29am and the last inmate escaped at 4:32am while there were several ranks deployed in towers and in keeping with reviews that we would have done since the last escape, ranks are no longer detailed to work twelve hours. They work for six hours which means that they should be focused and vigilant during their period of duty,” Samuels noted.

Samuels noted that the prisoners were very careful to part the razor wire atop the fence so they could have scaled it safely. He said the entire area is brightly lit in the nights “you could even see insects jumping in the grass” and guard towers are positioned close to the fence. Samuels said while many ranks were on duty, five ranks were in close proximity.

Noting that efforts are underway to recapture the three escapees, the prisoners were not discovered missing until close to 06:00am when a tally was being done.
The prison director said warders who were on duty have been placed under close arrest and it is likely that the police have taken the same action for its officers who were on duty. However, Samuels urged the public that although many persons may observe strange or suspicious sighting in some communities that may indicate where an escapee could be found, he cautioned against persons willfully misleading law enforcement officers, since all the necessary human resource will be needed on such a manhunt.

Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan said that the warders and policemen assigned to various tasks need to be awake in the wee hours of the morning when on duty. “It’s embarrassing. As to what can be done to ensure professionalism and standards are maintained, that is very important,” Ramjattan said

Meanwhile, the Private Sector Commission on Monday expressed concern of a number of issues affecting the prisons in Guyana and public safety in the country. In a letter to Minister Ramjattan, the body noted that a recent meeting of the Management Board of the Prisons, a number of serious matters were highlighted which “we feel should be addressed with utmost urgency.” “Issues brought to the fore include a general lack of adequate security at all of the prisons, a lack of fire prevention systems, the lack of transportation facilities to enable movement of prisoners and food, where necessary, and the inadequacy of the current complement of prisons to safely house the prison population,” the PSC noted.

“These issues can be seen as requiring short term and longer term solutions. The matter of security, for instance, presents a clear and present danger to the prison warders and the public at large. Another burning issue is the lack of fire prevention systems in the prisons, most of which are constructed of wood. The Private Sector Commission is concerned that, after two devastating prison fires, resulting in loss of lives and the escape of dangerous criminals, enough is not being done to prevent further fires,” the body stated.

The PSC noted that it is concerned about the safety and security of the public and is also disturbed by the less than humane conditions under which the prison population at the Lusignan Prison is housed. “These prisoners are made to sleep under sheds in the open, posing health risks to the prisoners and a danger to the wardens. We are of the opinion that these conditions could also have an impact upon the country’s human rights ranking,” the PSC noted.

The Private Sector Commission believes that internal security is one of the things hampering investor confidence and one that must be prioritised by government.