Another prison riot averted at Camp Street

Ranks of the Guyana Police Force and Guyana Fire Service were called in to assist in what appears to be a

Fire Service and Police outside the Camp Street Prision on Monday
Fire Service and Police outside the Camp Street Prision on Monday

standoff between prison officers and prisoners at the Camp Street Prison on Monday.
While information remains sketchy about the incident, Operations Officer of the Guyana Fire Service Compton Sparman, when contacted told Guyana Times firefighters responded to a report of a standoff between prison officials and inmates within the confines of Camp Street Penitentiary.
He however noted that by the time they arrived at the location, the situation was under control. He noted that any calls that come from the prison is treated with priority since the recent unrest that claimed the lives of 17 prisoners.
Seventeen prisoners were burnt to death on March 3, 2016 after inmates at prison set several fires in protest of the conditions of prison cells. One day after, the prisoners broke down a wooden wall of the prison, again calling for immediate attention.
This prompted the intervention of Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan along with State Minister Joseph Harmon to meet with a group of aggrieved prisoners. After the meeting the prisoners halted their protests due the ministers promise to address some of the concerns raised.
However, this unrest has led to the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry to determine if the death of the 17 prisoners were due to neglect by the prison officials on duty at the time. So far, at least five inmates have testified, giving their account of what took place on that fateful day.