DIRECTOR of Prisons, Mr Dale Erskine, has said that the 2002 jailbreak which saw five of Guyana’s most dangerous criminals making their way into society was the mother of all calamities.

He told a gathering on Friday night that had society not been what it was at the time and comprised of certain elements, the prison escapees would have never lasted as long as they did in our midst.
Mr. Erskine was at the time speaking at a small but significant ceremony at the Guyana Police Force Officers Mess Hall at Eve Leary, Kingston, where a cocktail reception was held in his honour as he proceeds on pre-retirement leave.
According to Mr. Erskine, had society not been saturated with persons who had a love for certain activities, the escapees would have never stayed out on the road so long. He added that someone out there back in 2002, either immediately after the men escaped or sometime thereafter, perpetuated the kind of conditions conducive to the men being out on the streets for as long as possible.
Erskine, who has been in the prison system for more than thirty years, pointed out that while the men were able to escape from the more secure prison in the country, the prison was only the igniter of the troubles that followed their escape.
Noting that the breakout by the famous five saw the destruction of civil society and the security of the State, Erskine said that while the circumstances were very unfortunate and tragic, the situation opened the door for changes that will see the revamping of the prison system.
He said that following the jailbreak, it was then realized and agreed that the penal system should no longer be the back foot of the criminal justice system, hence moves and efforts were taken to have the prison play a more meaningful role in the system, and in the lives of those who are incarcerated. That fostered the move by the Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Home Affairs, to embark on the modernization process of the criminal justice system.
The reform and modernization process will see the Guyana Prisons not only acting as a holding centre for those convicted of crimes, but will provide them with the opportunity to be engaged in activities which would see them being prepared for reintegration into society.
On February 23, 2002, five inmates of the Camp Street Prison staged a daring daytime breakout of the facility, as they made a dash for freedom, shooting a female prison officer in her eye and stabbing a young male prison officer to death as he rushed to aid his coworker.
‘The Famous Five’, as the gang came to be known, comprised of Dale Moore, Troy Dick, Andrew Douglas, Shawn Brown and Mark Fraser. Those men forced their way out of the Camp Street Prison, quickly became household names, and were featured on police wanted bulletins. By then they had already secured for themselves several weapons, including AK-47 assault rifles. Four of the five were on remand for charges of murder and robbery, while Mark Fraser was serving a twenty-five-year sentence for robbery under arms.
The presence of the men on the streets saw a massive crime wave that swept across Guyana for several months, and which received international attention. The presence of the dangerous five among society saw several countries issuing travel advisories to their nationals against travelling to Guyana.
The crime wave saw several execution-type murders, stabbings, robberies, attacks on police stations, and other criminal activities which in essence almost crippled Guyana and its economy. Businessmen were also targeted.
The men would soon seek refuge in Buxton, from whence they often operated. The crime situation saw the then commander-in-chief of Guyana’s armed forces, former President Bharrat Jagdeo, instructing the army and police to take control of the situation, which was clearly getting out of control.
That move saw retaliation from ‘The Famous Five’, who by then had already secured followers in persons who were sympathetic to their illegal causes and acts. Those days also saw the mass-migration of Guyanese by the hundreds, primarily those of Indian origins who were the main targets during the reign of terror.