–where there’ll be plenty to eat and drink

THEY won’t be at home, but they won’t be missing out on much either, as prison officials have gone the extra mile to make Christmas at the Lusignan Prison this year as memorable as they possibly can for the 100 or so inmates housed there.

According to the Officer-in-Charge of the Lusignan Prison, Superintendent Olivia Cox, like other members of the Disciplined Services, they at the Lusignan facility will have to work throughout the holidays, but they will ensure that inmates feel at home.

And this year, she said, they have a lot going on at Lusignan to make inmates enjoy the festive season, even though they are behind bars.

In addition to a concert today, where there’ll be music, karaoke, and dancing, they’ll be having the traditional pepperpot, black cake and other Christmas goodies, and even a few non-alcoholic beverages.

The concert, she said, is geared towards inmate participation as a means of helping them forget where they are, and enjoying the holiday festivities, while the foods are prepared by their own hands under supervision of prison officials.

Cox said that at each and every prison in Guyana, there’s a huge Christmas tree in the yard, and that a concert, to which the community is invited, would usually be held for the traditional Christmas tree light-up.

On those occasions, she said, the villagers of those communities in which the prison is located would get the rare opportunity to interact with prisoners as they provide entertainment at the ceremony.

And while the relatives of convicted prisoners are not allowed to take them food at Christmas, they can at least sit and chat and have a meal with their loved ones during “Family Bonding” week.

The children of inmates are also allowed to visit during that week, and whereas the prison would usually buy gifts so their fathers could give them, this time around they won’t be able to do so because of the tragedy earlier in the year at the Camp Street prison.

Cox said that although prisoners are not allowed alcohol on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, they are given a few cigarettes and sweets, compliments of the Guyana Prison Service.

As for those on Death Row, they are segregated and their meals are prepared separately. They are, however, allowed visitors during the festive season.

Most of them, she said, are housed at the Mazaruni Prison following the fire at the Camp Street prison.

At Christmas, she said, the service ensures that every inmate participates in the concert, while on every holiday, special meals are prepared for them in observance of those holidays.

“When the inmates are happy,” she said, “they are well behaved. So we try to make them comfortable, because we want them to feel as if they are at home, considering we have to spend long hours with them.”

They also try to give them a sense of belonging behind bars, and get them to participate in such activities as decorating the Christmas tree and fixing up their dormitories.

“As a prison officer,” the mother of two said, “I love my job even though it entails long hours and a lot of time away from my family.”

Ms Cox has been a member of the Guyana Prison Service for the past nine years, and previously served at the New Amsterdam Prison before being posted to Lusignan.