$77M contract approved for living quarters at Mazaruni Prison

Cabinet has approved the sum of million for the construction of six living quarters at the Mazaruni Prison, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

Minister of State Joseph Harmon, on Friday, announced that the contract was allocated in two lots, with one lot attracting $41,127,930 and the other lot attracting $35,820,000. They have been awarded to N&A Construction and to AAVMazaruni Prison Raghubeer General Construction respectively.

Harmon underscored that the living quarters at the prison are currently in a deplorable state, which were not conducive for the prison officers employed there.

“The living quarters were in a deplorable state and needed attention… as soon as they were off-duty, they were going home and it cost them about $10,000 every time they had to travel and if you look at the salary of a prison officer, we needed to do something to ensure the conditions which they lived and worked were improved,” he explained.

The Minister stressed that the Government wants to create a condition where the prison officers enjoy a certain level of comfort, so that in return, they can execute their duties effectively.

Government had injected over $350 million into expansion works at the Mazaruni Prison located in Region Seven, to accommodate more inmates as part of efforts to address the overcrowding at the Camp Street, Georgetown, facility.

This budgeted sum was forecasted to cater for the expansion of offices, inmate living facilities, staff and family living facilities, training facilities, as well as the construction of a school, day-care centre, and places of worship.