– COVID-19 measures being enhanced in prisons

SIXTY-FIVE convicted non-violent offenders were released from prisons to reduce overcrowding in light of COVID-19 measures, Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels, has confirmed.
The Health Ministry had also deployed a team of doctors and nurses to the facility to complement staff there and to train prison personnel to enhance daily sanitation exercises
Samuels told the Guyana Chronicle that the persons released had a nominal amount of time left on their sentences.

The Guyana Prison Service had received medical and sanitation supplies from the CARICOM security agency, IMPACS, to help protect prisoners from the COVID-19 virus.
The CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS), he said had responded to a request from prison authorities here for help to minimise and control the risk of the infection inside their prisons.

With support of the UK, IMPACS immediately provided urgent assistance. The donation included medical and sanitation supplies and other COVID-19-related items. The donation is in accordance with guidelines issued by the WHO for the prevention and control of the pandemic in prisons.

Prisons, he said are generally considered to be amplifiers in the spread of infectious diseases and pose a great challenge for authorities working to prevent and contain COVID-19.
According to the director, a sudden eruption of COVID-19 in prisons would put intense pressure on the public health care system in Guyana.
In addition to the items provided to lessen the effects of COVID-19 in prisons, IMPACS collaborated with the Caribbean Public Health Agency to provide training sessions to frontline officers on measures to protect themselves in the line of duty.

IMPACS has also partnered with the University of West Indies COVID-19 Task Force with virtual training on stress management for law enforcement officers.
In October, more than 290 inmates at the Lusignan Prison tested positive for the disease. Several prison officers were also affected. The affected inmates were isolated and some were relocated to other facilities to ensure adequate spacing among prisoners to stem transmission of the disease.