— on prison riots, GTUC urges Gov’t, Opposition

THE Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) has contended that prison riots are national emergency and require bipartisan approach through debates and engagements in and out of the National Assembly, not the trading of barbs between the government and opposition.

The GTUC in a release said the country is dealing with a national security crisis and it is important that a collective approach be pursued in addressing the matter and to determine a way forward.

Both sides are being paid by the citizens to manage their affairs and on this issue where safety is at risk, it must take priority, the GTUC said.

“Reactionary and ad-hocery approaches-evident in 9th July, Camp Street unrest and fire; 24th July, Lusignan break out; 29th July, Lusignan turmoil and interspersed conflicts — coupled with treatment of prisoners and the condition prison officers are asked to work, point to: (1) escalating of the crisis and, (2) threat to the safety of citizens, including the rights of prisoners and officers.

“GTUC recognises improvement in recapturing techniques, resulting in the minimising of causalities, and the overall handling of situations which clearly had potential to get worse. Acknowledgment of these do not absolve government- APNU+AFC and PPP/C from accountability for putting prison reform on the backburner, prioritising other issues of lesser import, and ignoring the problems that have been festering for years.

“GTUC is concerned at the level of apathy for the incarcerated, who though accused or convicted of running afoul of the law are human beings with inalienable rights. Condemning them to a life of misery and deeming justifiable any inhumane treatment meted out would suggest society is losing its moral compass, its humanity. The incarcerated are there at the behest of the State that has responsibility for their safety and existence consistent with international standards. Commitment to the rule of law and human decency will ensure these basics are being met,” the GTUC said.

It noted that incidents over the past weeks were bound to happen and there will continue to be similar scenarios. Lusignan Prison was already overcrowded and was further burdened with having to accommodate inmates from the overcrowded Camp Street Prison.

The situation became more untenable when high to low risk inmates were placed together and under conditions akin to a camp out or picnic style.

This is bound to cause conflict and bring to the fore inadequacies of the security system including lighting, camera, monitoring and intelligence gathering, the trade union body said, while noting that the ratio of prisoners to prison officers is also a problem.

NO PLACE FOR COMPLACENCY

The GTUC said in this volatile environment, there is no place for complacency neither can the Executive do it alone, noting that the absence of proactive and carefully thought out and implemented policies continue to result in logistical nightmares.
The GTUC also cautions the Opposition in its ill-advised strategy to turn a national emergency into a partisan political activity.

“The voracious and opportunist appetite to add fuel to fire, seeking to take advantage of crises partly responsible for must cease. The PPP/C is equally responsible for the decay in the prison system having had the opportunity for 23 years to improve it but did nothing substantial about it.  Over the years, the cries of prisoners, families, society and the international community to address prison reform were ignored or given lukewarm treatment. Society remembers former Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee’s response that “prison is not a five-star hotel” when public attention was brought to the deplorable conditions at Brickdam Prison,” the GTUC recalled.

It also noted that the nation does not need another Commission of Inquiry (CoI) to admit what has been known for years and not being attended to.

In the last 16 years, there were several commissioned reports and discussions on the prison system. Notable ones are Guyana Prisons 10-Year Strategic Development Plan (2001-2011), British Prison Reform (2001), Justice Cecil Kennard CoI (2002 jailbreak), Disciplined Services Commission Report (2004), Lloyd Nickram Study (2009), and Justice James Patterson CoI (2016 jailbreak).
GTUC also rejected the idea of privatising the prison system, pointing out that privatisation which started in the US in the 1980s has now been condemned by that society and accompanied by efforts at eliminating it.

PROFIT-DRIVEN

“The private sector is profit-driven and providing this service is contingent on it being lucrative. Reports out of the U.S and Britain highlight evidence of massive corruption, abuse of prisoners, and collusion by judges to guarantee supply of inmates. Instead of government funding private prisons, which is what privatisation means, it must use the money to engage in meaningful prison reform, modernise laws, including sentencing and establishing an effective rehabilitative programme,” the GTUC said.

The present situation, it noted, is overwhelming the prison officers, stretching their limited resources to the brink.

“Over the years, they have been treated like watchmen, deprived of the requisite skills, staffing complement and tools to competently deliver as required in modern prison system. While the crises at Camp Street and Lusignan have seen reactionary management by the Joint Services, they nonetheless ought to be commended. Their performance, based on the available resources, has helped to contain the level of anxiety in the society and bringing about some level of reassurance,” the GTUC statement concluded.