THE youths of Timehri Prison were on Sunday treated by Minister within the Ministry of the Presidency with responsibility for Youth Affairs, Simona Broomes.

Delivering in the capacity of not just a minister, but also a mother, Minister Broomes encouraged the young prisoners to work for positive change in the country.

“I am not just looking for perfect groups of young people in this country to work with; I am committed to working with all of you, including you here,” she told the young men.
She pointed out that youth incarcerated in Guyana number over 600, and over 500 of them are between the ages of 18 and 25.

“We have to stop that; but you have to help us to do that. As the minister with responsibility for youth affairs, you got to help me. I hate it that you are here, and you are labelled as a criminal and believe that you have to live your whole life as a criminal. That is not so! It’s not where you’re at; it’s where you’re going to finish it,” the minister admonished.

The young men were given the opportunity to share their stories, and say what the government can do for young people and how they can prevent youths from getting into prison.

One prisoner said that he believes the government should implement skill-training programmes with stipends. He said that some of the programmes that they have running, the youths do not complete them because they don’t have the money to upkeep themselves. The young man said that if they are offered a stipend, it will not just encourage them to continue and complete the programme, but it will help them with their daily lives.

Another prisoner voiced that more should be done for the youths behind bars so that when they come out, they can be changed persons. He told the minister that if they are provided with sport equipment and facilities, opportunities to learn craft and other trades, it will keep them meaningfully occupied.

A young man told the minister that to help prevent youths from going to prison, there should be television programmes showing what life in prison is like.
Minister Broomes welcomed all the contributions and stories shared, and she further encouraged the young men to aim to be better citizens.

“There is a life out there that you belong in. The world is talking about Guyana being the wealthiest in the world. We can’t afford to have our young people in jail; you have to be out there so that we can work together to make this country a better place.

You must be there to prevent other youngsters from being in here… Do you believe that we could champion a cause for breaking this whole spell of prison for young people? Some of you can tell your stories to bring prevention,” Broomes said.
She told the group that they must start working on a plan for when they are reinstated to society.

“You’re so consumed in here; there is no plan for when you get out there. And that’s why a lot of you get back into the trap again. You need to sit and think and sort yourself out, and aim to be a better individual when you come out,” she noted.

Some of the young men were given the opportunity to call their mothers and wish them a happy Mother’s Day. They were also treated to lunch couryesy of Minister Broomes, and blessed with a song, prayers, and spiritual words from Pastor Timothy King.
As the minister was leaving, one prisoner stood up and said that the gesture was well appreciated and admired.

“You brought a little comfort to us today, and we are thankful, because on this Mother’s Day you could have chosen to go anywhere else, but you chose to come to us and we thank you,” the young man said.

Minister Broomes told the media that this activity is not the last of its kind, as she has plans to continue on to other prisons and hear from the young people and encourage them towards a better life.