POLICE, on Thursday, arrested a 23-year-old inmate of the Lusignan Prison, who escaped in the wee hours, on Wednesday, from the facility.

The prisoner, Leroy Graham of Middle Walk Buxton, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was caught in the backlands of Buxton, after security officials acted on intelligence given pertaining to his whereabouts.

Reports indicated that police ranks proceeded to a shack where the fugitive was the lone occupant at the time.

He was arrested and taken to Vigilance Police Station and was later handed over to the Guyana Prison Service.

Graham is on remand for armed robbery. Graham was ‘admitted’ to the prison on August 20, 2020. His last known address is Middle Walk, Buxton ECD.

“The prisoner broke out of a section of the burnt Lusignan Prison where he was housed for safety reasons. So far, evidence suggests that he jumped the southern fence and headed in the direction of the backlands,” a senior prison officer noted.

Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn, had announced that government will be building a new, modern detention facility to house inmates of the Lusignan Prison which has been overrun and crowded since the fires at Camp Street Prison.

The situation at Lusignan was worsened earlier this year, following a fire which destroyed one of the facility’s main buildings which housed an administrative office, kitchen and facilities for approximately 185 to 190 prisoners.