–Home Affairs Minister says more humane, empathetic systems to be implemented

THE majority of the 1,968 persons incarcerated in prisons across the country are young men whose lives are being wasted behind bars.

As such, the government will be investing heavily in providing opportunities and facilities to ensure their proper reintegration into society as productive people while curbing recidivism.

This is according to Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, who made the remarks during the 52nd Republic Anniversary Flag Raising Ceremony held recently at the Region Five Regional Democratic Council, compound, Fort Wellington, West Coast Berbice.

“We want those young men to come out of the prisons trained, rehabilitated, consulted, treated more humanely, more aware of what their duties should be in reintegrating into the society and in the places in which they have to go to after leaving the prison system.

“…that they will be accepted back into the society and society is safer as a result of the experience they would have had in their incarceration,” Benn explained.

The government, he said, is investing huge amounts of monies in new prisons and systems in which modern facilities will be available, including at the Lusignan prison.

“This prison will have a school, an infirmary better suited as a modern treatment centre for the care of prisoners; proper places where the families can visit and weekend situations, and we want them growing their own food and involving themselves in more meaningful activities and this is very important for us, because we don’t want people doing the bad things and returning to prisons, we want to reduce recidivism in our prison system,” the Home Affairs Minister explained.

According to the 2022 national budget, the government is aiming to enhance prison infrastructure with the earmarked sum of $2.3 billion, while $88.9 million was set aside to train inmates in areas such as anger management, literacy and numeracy, tailoring, among others, in an effort to reduce recidivism.

Minister Benn said what government intends to pursue is a more humane modern empathetic system for various services.

WORK OF JOINT SERVICES
Meanwhile, Minister Benn noted that the Joint Services should not be seen as instruments of oppression but systems of service in maintaining the development of the country.

“We want to have a situation where we can respect each other more and where we can love each other more. We have gone to the same schools, we look after each other’s children, we come from the same communities and, in spite of the quarrels now and again, we know that we are better together as Guyanese people and that is what we want for the development of our country,” he disclosed.

Additionally, Minister Benn said that within this century a new vision of being Guyanese should evolve and passed on to the next generation.

“We have been given a better life than our parents I believe, and we want to assure that we can give our children and the next generation of Guyanese a better life and we can only do this if we accept diversity in our institutions…[ If we accept and understand and interpret our lives and the way we live together, it will be of benefit for all of us and our future,” Minister Benn told the gathering

“If we accept and understand and interpret our lives and the way we live together, as being of benefit for all of us and for the future and learn to love each other and more empathetic in our relations amongst each other,” Minister Benn told the gathering.

Further, he noted that the integrity of the Joint Services and the community policing groups are very important as citizens are free to identify and give suggestions, which can be acted upon in order to avoid negative things from happening within the communities.

“Whether it’s domestic violence, violence against children, or perhaps when we imbibe too much and decide to fight amongst ourselves and do something that is grievous which brings tragedy and trauma, we want to reduce these things,” he said.

Additionally, the Home Affairs Minister noted that the government will launch and pilot a programme this year titled “Increase the peace in Guyana”.