WITH a number of prison escapes throughout the year, the security mechanisms at some of Guyana’s prisons, including the Lusignan Prison, were often called into disrepute; however, these concerns will soon be addressed with the new prison complex being constructed at the site.

This is according to Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, who said that the new facility being constructed at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, will be more secure and a number of issues regarding the prison’s perimeter, towers and fencing, will be resolved.

Benn made the comment on the sidelines of the Guyana Police Force ‘Inaugural Integrity in Policing Symposium’ held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, on Saturday.

The Ministry of Home Affairs in June 2021 signed a $1.2 billion contract for the reconstruction of the Lusignan Prison, Lots 1-3. The new facility, which is expected to hold some 1,200 prisoners, is approximately 25 per cent complete, and is on track to meet its February 2022 deadline.

While the modern facilities are expected to provide requisite security to prevent prison escapes, Benn reminded that there remains the “human element” and persons who are employed with the Guyana Prison Service must play their roles and learn from precedents.

“There is always the question of the human element in everything we do and as you go along in a large organisation, sometimes you have incidents which you have to deal with, which you have to learn from and which you have to take the appropriate measures to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” the Security Minister lamented.

“There are still issues of integrity in terms of people who are doing jobs; they are paid for being able to look out and warn and identify when they are issues, but I am very hopeful that we are on the path to improvement,” he added.

While commenting on the recent prison escape by double-murder accused, Kapildeo Gangadin from the Lusignan Prison, the Home Affairs Minister highlighted that surveillance from the prison towers overlooking the prison facility and surveillance of the cameras must be addressed as these mechanisms are in place to prevent escapes.

The year 2021 was riddled with a number of escapes at the Lusignan Prison, as well as escapes from the Mazaruni Prison, Region Seven (Cuyuni – Mazaruni). Based on reports, most of these escapees have been recaptured.

On February 8, 2021, 32-year-old Davo Simeon, of Better Hope, East Coast Demerara, who was considered a trustee at the Lusignan Prison and was serving a 16-month sentence for break and enter and larceny, escaped from the facility. He was recaptured four months after on June 17, 2021.

In the same month, four high-profile inmates who were serving sentences for murder and manslaughter, escaped from the Mazaruni Prison. On February 16, 2021, Imran Ramsaywack, Kenrick Lyte, Samuel Gouveia and Rayon Jones escaped the facility; it was observed that two bars from within the cells were cut to facilitate the escape.

Ramsaywack and Jones were shot dead by police at Better Hope South backlands, East Coast Demerara, on March 22, 2021 after police received information that they were hiding out in an abandoned, swampy field surrounded by bush. There have been no reports that Lyte and Gouveia were recaptured.

Weeks after Simeon escaped, on March 17, 2021, Taje Singh, 45, of Zeelugt North, East Bank Essequibo, who was serving a sentence for unlawful wounding and larceny, jumped the southern prison fence of the Lusignan Prison and made good his escape. He was recaptured just under 12 hours after his escape.

On April 9, 2021, 25-year-old Kevin LaFleur of Providence Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, escaped from the Mazaruni Prison while serving a sentence of 56 months for robbery under arms. He was recaptured on May 1, 2021 in Ankerville, Port Mourant, Region Six.

On June 08, 2021, 24-year-old Shazam Khalil, of Shieldstown, West Bank Berbice, who was remanded for break and enter and larceny and 26-year-old Andrew Chaung, of Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara, who was serving a life sentence for murder, escaped from the Lusignan Prison.

Chaung surrendered to police one day following his escape after he was handed over to police by his sister and fiancée. There is no available report that Khalil was recaptured.

The following month, on July 31, 2021, 38-year-old Quincy Clarke of West La Penitence, Georgetown, who was sentenced to two four-week terms for two counts of threatening language, escaped from the Lusignan Prison. He was recaptured later that day in Albouystown, Georgetown.

In the most recent escape, double-murder accused, 24-year-old Kapildeo Gangadin, escaped from the Lusignan Prison on Thursday last. He was incarcerated for the fatal stabbing of 20-year-old Ganesh ‘Chris’ Persaud on October 15, 2021. Gangadin was recaptured on Friday last.

Meanwhile, a vocational school will also be constructed at the Lusignan Prison; it is expected to aid with the rehabilitation of prisoners and the women’s prison will be relocated to Lusignan from New Amsterdam in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

The Ministry of Home Affairs is currently inviting bids from eligible and qualified bidders for these projects.