By Nafeeza Yahya-Sakur

TEARS of joy and squeals of excitement filled the New Amsterdam Prison on Thursday as Minister with responsibility for Youth Affairs Simona Broomes paid the facility an unexpected visit.

Truth be told, the excitement had more to do with her helping seven female prisoners to be reunited with their families earlier than anticipated through the Guyana Prison Service (GPS)’s Special Remission Programme.

The Minister’s visit was part of the annual prison week activity, the 36th to date, being celebrated this year under the theme “Changing lives one inmate at a time”.

Speaking exclusively with the Guyana Chronicle, Minister Broomes, who is being described nationally as a champion of women rights, especially the rights of those women who live in remote communities, related that the Director of Prisons approached her for some funding to make the lives of the female prisoners more comfortable. And, seizing the opportunity to ask a favour herself, she asked his permission to visit the only female prison in the country to meet and interact with the women incarnated there to see what else can be done to help in their reformation and ultimate readmission into society.

Whilst there, she met several women, including a mother of four from the
Amerindian community of Baramita in Region One (Barima-Waini), who was on remand for the past six months because she could not afford to post a fine of $20,000.

During her six months in prison, Natasha Henry, who was on remand for wounding,
first lost her father to sudden illness, and two months later her son, who died by drowning.
Now, all she has left is memories, as she could not even attend their funerals.

After listening to Natasha’s story, Minister Brommes wasted no time in assisting to post her bail out of her own pocket, and to arrange air transportation for her to return home.
She also made contact with the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs to assist in her reintegration into society, and to help her with seeds, tools and whatever else necessary to resume farming so that she can take care of her family.

MOVED TO TEARS

Surinamese national, Soulele Myr, 29, who was doing time for ‘trafficking’, had spent the last 30 months behind bars and was scheduled to be released in a few weeks. But after learning about the Special Remission programme, she asked Minister Broomes to check to see if she was qualified, and, as fate would have it, her name was among the over 600 that had been submitted and approved nationwide.
Upon hearing that she had gotten 28 days taken off her sentence, and that she was free to go that very day, Soulele was so moved to tears that she clung to Minister Broomes and thanked her for helping her to reunite early with her two daughters, aged
12 and 17, who are both in school.

Besides Natasha and Soulele, three other women, namely, 42-year-old Rubena Rogers; Merlin Mangra, 55; and 26-year-old Nicola Christe, who were in for simple larceny, trafficking and damage to property respectively, were also on the list and released on Thursday.
Two more women will be released next week, as they, too, have been qualified for
the programme.

THE PROGRAMME
Explaining how the Special Remission Programme works, Director of Prisons
Gladwyn Samuels said that it allows for prisoners to have their sentences reduced by as much as 28 days for good conduct and being industrious while in prison.

This amnesty of sorts, he explained, is usually done during the celebration of either Republic or Independence, as well as National Prison Service Week.

“Recommendations are made by the officers in charge of the various prisons to the Director of Prisons, and, based on those recommendations, if they are found favourable, I will then forward it to the minister for his consideration and approval,” he said. “So, it is on that basis that in observance of our 36th Prison Service Week celebrations, in excess of
600 names were submitted to our Minister, these were male and female
prisoners. That list would have received approval and resulted in the reduction of 28days on the sentence of those prisoners,” he added.

He said that following approval, the recalculation of the sentencing is done, and the prisoners will have their dates of release
brought forward. Twelve male prisoners were also released on Thursday from
the New Amsterdam Prison.

An emotional Minister Broomes, after seeing the joy on the faces of the women she helped to an early release, related that she is thankful to God for the opportunity to be in a position where she can help make a difference in the lives of others.

“I really feel privileged and blessed to be in a position where I can make a difference in someone’s life. I truly believe I was sent here today by God to make a difference in the lives of these women,” she said, adding: “When you are in a situation like this, even being released a day earlier makes a difference.”

Minister Broomes spent half the day on Thursday in the female dormitory bonding with each of the female inmates individually, listening to their concerns, and chatting and praying with them, while encouraging them to make use of the programmes available and ensure that whenever the time arrives for them to be released, that they are not only better not equipped with vocational skills but life skills as well that will make them better individuals in society.