THE establishment of a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) to investigate the March 3 prison riot which resulted in the deaths of 17 inmates was done prematurely, as police are yet to conclude their investigations, President of the Guyana Bar Association, Christopher Ram, has said.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Saturday last, the attorney-at-law suggested that the commission should not begin its work until the police have concluded their investigations into the matter.

On Thursday last, 17 inmates at the Camp Street Prison in Georgetown were burnt to death in a fire that 22 of them were allegedly responsible for starting. The remaining five have allegedly suffered serious injuries.

President David Granger subsequently announced that a CoI would be established to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident.

On Friday afternoon, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan announced that the commission would comprise former Justice James Patterson, who will serve as Chair; Merle Mendonca of the Guyana Human Rights Association; and former Director of Prisons, Dale Erskine.

But while Ram in a letter to the press supported the idea of a CoI, he noted that Erskine’s presence on the commission poses a conflict of interest, and that his stewardship of the prisons should itself be investigated.

According to Ram, both he and immediate past President of the Bar Association, Ronald Burch Smith, are concerned that the work and testimony before the commission can “adversely” affect the investigations which the Guyana Police Force has a duty to carry out.

“It puts the personnel from the prison in the awkward situation of simultaneously providing evidence to the commission and information to the police,” Ram said.

He also opined that it would be impossible for a report from the CoI to be submitted by March 15, given the lengthy process of swearing-in the commissioners, examining the terms of reference and listening to testimonies, which must be drawn from multiple sources.

“The time available for the work of the commission is absurdly short. The commissioners will have to study their terms of reference and seek clarification thereon; on, for example, the period to be covered by their investigations. They will have to meet among themselves to plan their work, including visit(s) to be made to the prison; arrangements for evidence to be taken from prisoners; identification of the persons to be interviewed; the records to be requested, and the past reports to be studied. To carry out their work efficiently, they will need to arrange among themselves what particular roles each of them, with their various backgrounds, will play in examining the witnesses,” Ram said.

When contacted on Ram’s contentions, Minister Ramjattan, in a terse comment, said the Government will go ahead with both the CoI and the police investigation.Supporting Minister Ramjattan, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, contended that Ram is out of order.

“The two approaches are different. One does not have to wait on the other,” he said.

Ram also sought to call for reform of the prison services, which according to him, is “self-evident.” The Disciplined Forces Commission, in its inquiry into the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana Prison Service and the Guyana Fire Service, had made 164 recommendations to reform the Disciplined Forces.

It was deduced also that the forces — given their current resources, composition and capability — seemed unable or unwilling to confront social disorder and internal disturbance. Public safety and national security suffered as a consequence.

And while most of the recommendations were never implemented to construct a more robust Joint Service, political activist Mark Benschop, who was exposed to the prison environment, called for the reactivation of the Discipline Committee to meet with prisoners.

According to him, the prison is no “bed of roses”, and prisoners do need help while they are serving time for crimes they commit.

“Prisoners sleep in ceilings and (on) floors; they don’t get family visits, as is stipulated; and they are either given porridge or tea that is so dark in colour they are not sure what they are drinking,” the activist said.

He also weighed in on the lengthy judicial process, which he said is very unfair to persons who are remanded.

“You have persons in there four to five years awaiting trial, and it is unfair to them,” he said, adding that this, coupled with the treatment meted out, fuels frustration.

As such, he extended support for the CoI, and called for independence of the investigation, which he hopes will be acted upon and bring the much-needed reform to the prison system.