Construction of $1.2B Lusignan Prison on schedule for February 2022 completion

Three new buildings are currently being constructed at the Lusignan Prison to hold close to 1000 inmates. The project is about 25% completed, and is expected to be finished by February 2022, according to Director of Prisons (ag) Nicklon Elliott.
On Wednesday, Prison Director Nicklon Elliot took media operatives on a tour of the facility, which included the existing holding, quarantine areas, the kitchen, and the old Lusignan Prison. In an interview with reporters, he explained that prisoners would be able to be more comfortable upon completion of the $1.2B facility.
“Prisoners will be living in a dormitory setting, where there will be housed with bed and mattresses, unlike the holding bay facility, where that is not happening at the moment…,” he explained.
In 2017, some 1,000 prisoners were transported to the Lusignan facility following a mass fire that gutted the Camp Street Prions.
A holding area was constructed to temporarily house those inmates.
This new, modernised building will have a fire suppression system that will have access to adequate water, and will be in adherence to the specifications for the housing of prisoners.

Construction of the new facility is underway

According to Elliot, the current holding area currently houses about 800 prisoners, but upon completion, the new facility will be able to house over 1,000 prisoners. This is with hope that it would ease the congestion in the prisons.
“We have those at the Lusignan Prison, we have the admission section. Because of the COVID-19 situation, we are admitting prisoners on admission, so those prisoners are required to spend their 14 days’ isolation period before they actually are transferred here,” he said.

Overcrowding
Further speaking on overcrowding, he added that the figurative hands of the prison service are tied as they cannot refuse persons sent there by the justice system; hence why they are struggling with the overcrowding.
There are plans to construct a trade school in the holding bay area, and the Prison Director also revealed that the female prison in New Amsterdam, Berbice will be moved to the Lusignan facility. The three facilities are being constructed by Mohamed’s Construction and Real Estate Agency, M&P Investment, and Nabi Construction Inc.
Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn recently said Government is devising a programme, titled ‘A Fresh Start’, that aims to provide inmates with the requisite skills for their reintegration into society. (G9)