1st phase of $4B expansion at Mazaruni Prison completed

The first phase of the $4 billion expansion of the Mazaruni Prison has been completed, and is expected to be put into operation shortly.
After the phases of expansion have been completed, the new facility would accommodate 220 prisoners, which would assist to alleviate the overcrowding being experienced at the other prisons across the country.
Works on Phase 2 of this expansion have commenced, while the Mazaruni Estate has also been recipient of a much-needed road network that links each of the sections of the vast Prison Estate.

Further, a water purification system that would supply water to the wings of Phases 1 and 2 has also been erected.
This is according to Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Guyana Prison Service (GPS), Rajiv Bisnauth, in a release to the media on Thursday.
Newly accredited Deputy British High Commissioner to Guyana, Her Excellency Judy Kpogho, visited the correctional institution on Wednesday and was impressed with the modern correctional facilities observed, but was even more impressed with the prison reintegration programme.
“I am totally impressed with this facility. It will definitely improve overall security among prisoners and officers. You have to create a good living condition for prisoners, and at the same time enable them to learn skills that would help them once they have completed their terms,” the Deputy British High Commissioner related.

Further, Kpogho posited that she is encouraged by the comprehensive suite of programmes offered by the GPS for the rehabilitation of inmates.
“The inmates, who have found themselves on the wrong side of the law, we want to make sure that we give them an opportunity to learn from whatever wrongs they may have done. So, I was very impressed with the work I saw to help prisoners to prepare for life back in the community. The staff and the prisoners themselves demonstrated their dedication and commitment to improving inmates’ chances of leading a positive and fulfilling life when they leave custody,” Ms. Kpogho declared.
Kpogho was accompanied by Director of Public Prosecutions, Shalimar Ali-Hack; Deputy Director of Prisons, Kevin Pilgrim; Regional Commander Dion Moore, and other officials of the Guyana Prison Service and the Home Affairs Ministry.
Over the years, the GPS has been focusing on programmes such as education, vocational training, life skills, and the overall mental and therapeutic development of the inmates.
The Deputy Director of Prisons, Kevin Pilgrim, has described the new prison block as being very modern and incorporating respect for human rights. He said it indicates an innovative approach to the treatment of prisoners.