By Svetlana Marshall

RESIDENTS in proximity to the Georgetown Prison on Sunday expressed mixed feelings regarding the current unrest in the penitentiary, with the majority applauding the Government’s decision to heighten security in the area. Late last week, the Joint Services took control of the jail after 13 prison officers reported sick. President David Granger had also instructed that the outer cordons of the prison be extended to include D’Urban, John and Bent Streets, which are currently blocked off to the public, except for those persons residing within those areas, as has been done on Camp Street.
A resident, who has been residing on D’Urban Street for the past 15 years, told the Guyana Chronicle that she feels secure due to the high presence of police and soldiers in the area.
“We don’t feel threatened at all, because there are soldiers and police manning the area,” the woman, who requested anonymity, said.
She is of the opinion that some reports in the press are being blown out of proportion. “If these prisoners were out of control, and the situation was really threatening, then I would have expected to see more of the Joint Services even patrolling within the prison, if it was such a threat, but I don’t think that is the case.”
GOOD JOB
The middle-aged woman said the Joint Services ought to be applauded. “I think they are going a good job. Sometimes you get up in the middle of the night, you would see them patrolling the area, keeping watch, so there is no reason to feel scared,” she added.
Another resident, Tanisha Jarvis, said she is satisfied with the level of security being provided by the Joint Services. “I happy with de work dem soldiers them doing 100 per cent, I ain’t get no fear,” she said when approached by this newspaper.
However, Jarvis acknowledged that during the prison unrest, which left 17 prisoners dead on March 3, she was plunged into fear. Another resident, who spoke with this newspaper briefly, said she feels more secure with the soldiers on the ground 24/7.
However, Clive Perry differed, noting that the unrest at the prison has taken a toll on businesses in the area. Perry said he was forced to return home from Canada after the Capital Block A went up in flames.
“My mother is very ill, we have been living here for 46 years and they had many kinds of problems in the prison but not to this magnitude… so when I heard about it I decided to come home because my mother is not feeling well,” he explained.
Perry, who is staying at his mother’s Bent Street residence, said his family does not feel safe to be in the area any longer.
“With all these soldiers and the police, it is even affecting my sister’s food shop downstairs. Now they have to cook less or close off because sometimes a problem arise, quickly again you see more soldiers, they cordon off farther more and the customers cannot come in,” he further explained. Perry is hoping that the situation returns to normal sooner than later.
UNDER CONTROL
On Saturday, Director of Prisons Carl Graham said security at the prison is under control, even as he refuted claims that the prisoners have taken control of the penitentiary. However, he admitted that inmates were more agitated than usual, but he assured that they have not taken control.
“I have been here before 05:00 hrs this morning and contrary to the reports out there, the keys for the prison are with the prison officers,” Graham told this newspaper. “I was here and I checked for myself… all of the keys are in the possession of the prison authority,” he emphasised.
The Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), in a statement to the media, expressed much concern over what it described as “a dangerous state of affairs that has emerged” at the Georgetown Prison.
But the Director of Prisons (ag) made it clear that the “prison officers never surrendered the keys” to the prisoners. He told this newspaper that there are “mischievous” persons who are trying to paint a chaotic picture of what is transpiring at the jail.
Prison officers from the Timehri and Lusignan prisons were temporarily transferred to support those at the Camp Street penitentiary, and with the support of the Joint Services, this has been deemed sufficient by Graham.