–to enhance security services

GUYANA’s security sector will be further boosted this year with an injection of $34.3 billion from the Ministry of Home Affairs, which was cleared by the National Assembly on Thursday.

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, said that some of the provisions cater for the relocation of the prison headquarters to Lusignan, East Coast Demerara (ECD), and the construction of a prison school.

“…a school to make up the training, the education they missed at various levels coming up to whatever standard they are. There will be trade shops at a vocational centre for trade training in various skills,” the minister said during the consideration of the budget estimates.

Benn related that they want the prisoners to use the opportunity to get into planting and other activities.

He also thanked the Minister of Agriculture, Mustapha Zulfikar, for introducing shade houses and other things, to “get them (prisoners) more involved in doing things with their hands and move the focus away from other things which sometimes happens in the prison system.”

Benn related that there is a psychologist available already as well as welfare officers who are trained to handle welfare issues not only for the prisoners but also for the prison officers.
They are also working to expand the types of training and to reformat the way they intervene in these issues.

“I think recently… we released 10 persons on what we call the Fresh Start project where they were trained in specific work disciplines, skill sets, and given tools on leaving the prison to reintegrate, but yes, this is a new thing for us but we are working hard at it,” Minister Benn said.

Additionally, the minister related that some $139 million was allocated to provide more training and career and skill development for the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

Some of the training interventions are initial training for special constables, conversion courses for special constables; recruitment training which is available at the various police colleges, in Georgetown, Berbice, and Essequibo; forensic video analysis, immigration training, cybersecurity training, and more.

Minister Benn said that the ministry has the staff and skill sets to deal with such issues, which is consistent with one of the ministry’s strategies to formulate, implement, and monitor national security policies.

In terms of national security policy, it is implemented at various levels within the ministry by bringing together skill sets from the police, fire, prison service, and the ministry’s specialised departments.