THE Guyana Prison Service will have its capacity boosted with the addition of a Special Response Team to quell disturbances such as the recent one that caused the death of 17 inmates, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan has said. He said that the unit would have the capacity to handle any case of misconduct that may arise in the future, in the prisons. Noting that the Special Response Team would not have to depend on the Police Force for support, Ramjattn said the new team of highly trained ranks would be able to make better judgment calls and be prepared to enforce discipline among inmates. Ramjattan made the comments during an interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA)
Recognising that the present training of prison officers was, “not of the best, ” the Ministry of Public Security has now mandated that all recruits to the Prison Service undergo training at the Guyana Police Force’s training schools. “It is not enough, they need lots more training and we want better recruits and so on,” Ramjattan said of the present training programme.
In addition, the Government is looking at ways to improve the salaries and conditions of work at the Guyana Prison Service, so as to attract and keep skilled personnel. “Our prisons are tough places to work and sometimes the more quality people do not want to go there,” Ramjattan said.
Referring to the recent Camp Street Prison unrest which left 17 dead and several others wounded, the minister said, “If we don’t start investing in better recruits, their accommodation, their allowances, their salaries and all of that, we might have lots more riots on our hands, which will cost [us] in the long term, lots more.”
Meanwhile, the Government is taking advantage of the offers made by several international partners and agencies to train law-enforcement officials, locally and overseas. Several officers of the Guyana Prison Service have left Guyana for the United States, to participate in the 18th Annual Mock Prison Riots, at the decommissioned West Virginia State Prison in Moundsville.
The Mock Prison Riot Training programme, which was initiated in 1997, offers Prison Officers from around the world training in which they learn the latest techniques and methods used to quell prison disturbances. The training features hands-on training and technology exposure to corrections, law enforcement, military, and public safety practitioners. Local law-enforcement ranks are also being trained in other jurisdictions as part of the Government’s plans to further build their capacity.