–in wake of recent unrest at Camp Street jail

REPRESENTATIVES of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) met with Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan; acting Police Commissioner, David Ramnarine; and Director of Prisons (ag), Gladwin Samuels on Tuesday to discuss public security and safety.

Tuesday’s meeting followed concerns expressed by the PSC about public safety and security after the Camp Street prison fire and prison break.

In a statement to the media, the Commission said at the meeting its concern was reiterated about what it perceives to be “the erosion of public security and safety.” The body pointed to the loss of public confidence in the government being exacerbated by the fact that no one has been held accountable and charged for the July events which left the Camp Street penitentiary completely gutted, and resulted in the escape of several high-profile prisoners.

The PSC said it emphasised the “serious damage” caused as a result of the aforementioned events to investor confidence here and abroad, as well as to tourism. The body pointed out, too, that planned events have either been postponed or relocated as a result of the events.

“The Commission further expressed its concern over the inability of the police to effectively curb the incidence of violent crime reaching into business places and homes across the country. Our citizens, the Commission stressed, are now living in a constant state of fear,” the statement issued on Friday by the PSC stated.

Subject Minister Ramjattan acknowledged the need for the urgent restoration of public confidence in the security sector and safety of the country’s prison system. The PSC said the Minister of Public Security was “open and frank in addressing the challenges faced by the country from the threat of violent crime.”

He assured the PSC that every effort is being made to recapture the escapees who remain on the run so that the situation can return to normalcy.

That aside, Minister Ramjattan provided the Commission with what has been described as a comprehensive and confidential brief on the current and accelerated steps being taken to obtain a fully functioning prison system.

The Minister, however, noted that gross overcrowding was neglected for a prolonged period, and will demand substantial sums of money not readily available to construct a new and expanded system sufficient to accommodate the present prison population.
Overcrowding, he said, is as a result of the “unnecessarily high level of bail being assigned for relatively minor offences completely out of the financial reach of the persons accused of these offences,” and the number of persons placed on remand.

Ramjattan assured the Commission that the judiciary has been engaged, with the aim of finding a solution to the problem, and confirmed that the Prison Sentence Management Board has been appointed.

The Public Security Minister also shared his administration’s plans for the construction of a modern facility in the Mazaruni.

Meanwhile, acting Commissioner of Police, David Ramnarine told the PSC that the Police are conducting an active investigation into the fire at the Georgetown Prison. That investigation, Ramnarine said, is nearing completion.

Acting Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels, made a statistical presentation to the Commission, charting the current and historical status of prisoners, both in the system and at large, largely providing answers to many of the questions asked in the public about the numbers and locations of the prison population.

The Commission strongly recommended to the Minister that he make the presentation public since it would go a long way towards reassuring the public that the authorities were in control of the situation.

On the question of rehabilitation of convicted prisoners, the Minister and his team outlined the significant efforts and arrangements in place, in spite of extremely limited resources and space, to ensure that released prisoners were able to be gainfully employed on their reintegration into society.

The Minister, however, lamented the fact that, generally, in Guyana, the stigma attached to ex-convicts makes it extremely difficult to find employment for them.