YET another component of the $1B ‘Clean-up My Country’ programme got underway yesterday when the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) began works to de-bush Block 7 of Le Repentir Cemetery.

The area at reference is bordered to the north by Broad Street, to the south by Sussex Street, and to the east by St. Stephen Street.

In brief comments while chainsaws were buzzing in the background, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Ms. Olive Gopaul said that a full team was on site, comprising 24 inmates with five supervising officers to manage the operation.

She explained that “the idea is to clear out all the overgrown vegetation, so at least persons can access the cemetery and visit the tombs of their loved ones without having to go through the hassle.”
However, there still remains some risk from bees in hives that are housed in tombs for years. The Ministry is dealing with this and contracted the Guyana Apiculturalist Society (GAS) to remove the hives of Africanised bees.

Gopaul assured us that the beekeepers are on standby in the event that their services are needed while the inmates are working. She also said that their contract is expected to run until October 15.
Recently there had been some concern expressed publicly about the use of prison labour for the de-bushing of Block 7. However, Local Government Minister Norman Whittaker debunked claims of prison labour abuse by disclosing that he had sought the advice of Labour Minister Dr. Nankishore Gopaul, in keeping with Guyana’s obligations under domestic and international labour laws.
Subsequently, this publication received a comment from a senior prison official who reaffirmed that the use of prison labour has been ongoing for years. The official also commented that “it is unfortunate because the reality is that there is so much stigma [attached to prisoners] and if the society is not simultaneously accepting the fact that the prisoners would be given a chance, then we would be back to square one.”
The source also expressed concern regarding the many cases of a double negative where families not only reject these prisoners after they have been released into society, but the stigmatised rejects find themselves offending again and go back into the prison system.
The official lauded the collaboration between the Government and the Prison Service as “essential for rehabilitation and reintegration.” As it relates to payment, the monies are divided threefold: one portion goes directly to the Prison Service, a second part goes to the prisoner and a third will be lodged in a Prison Welfare Fund.
And regarding the criteria established for the inmates engaged in public works, it was disclosed that they are assessed by the Sentence Management Board and the Sentence Management Unit, facilitated through the Home Affairs Ministry, to determine their eligibility based on behaviour, duration of sentence and conduct.
The Local Government Minister had said previously that the clean-up works in the cemetery “will be designed into four lots.” Three of the four lots of the cemetery will be contracted to interested members of the public through organised Community Development Councils (CDCs) and the fourth lot will be contracted to the Prison Service “as part of their rehabilitation [efforts].”

(By Derwayne Wills)