Police mistakenly held relative of former inmate who completed sentence

– as Ramjattan, Samuels respond to calls for independent prison count

As some uncertainty exists over the number of prisoners, Police on Monday mistakenly detained the brother-in-law of a prisoner who was granted early release on suspicion that he was one of the escapees.
Officials have, however, responded lightly to calls for an independent prison count and maintained that their numbers are indeed accurate.

Thirteen inmates who were held in a swamped area at the Lusignan Prison were able to crawl to freedom through a dug-out hole early Monday morning. However, as Police pursued the escapees later that morning, a West Bank Demerara (WBD) cane cutter and cash crop farmer was wrongfully detained after false information surfaced that his brother-in-law, Kenton Noble, was one of the 13 escapees. The cane cutter and cash crop farmer was identified as John Jacobs of La Retraite, WBD, who disclosed that his brother-in-law was granted early release, reportedly from the Mazaruni Prison on Saturday night.

Jacobs explained that he was on his way through School Street, Stanleytown, WBD, when Police ranks with long guns in vans swooped down and detained him, reportedly saying that his brother-in-law was wanted. Guyana Times was told that his home and that of his mother-in-law and brother and his family were all searched as Police attempted to find the officially released prisoner. Jacobs indicated that while he is glad to be released, the entire ordeal has left him upset.
“It make me feel bad, because people could think me is some murder man…they (Police) don’t tell you sorry; all they doing is patrolling, searching for some bandit,” Jacobs told this newspaper.
The farmer stated that he was only released from the La Grange Police Station after the former prisoner showed up and Divisional Commander Leslie James had reportedly intervened.
This publication understands that it was persons in the community who reported that Noble was in the area and claimed that he was an escapee.
Divisional Commander James concurred on Tuesday that Police ranks in West Demerara were acting on information obtained from members of the public. He related that Jacobs’ detention was in keeping with standard procedures observed by Police. James further indicated that around 13:00h, Police were able to confirm with prison officials that Noble was not one of the escapees and, as such, Jacobs was released from custody.
He further told this newspaper that the Police’s actions were based on calls which were echoed at a Monday’s Public Security Ministry press conference, where officials including acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine stated that any information on, or sightings of escapees should be provided to Police.
Ever since the July 9 prison fire and unrest, several discrepancies surfaced over just how many prisoners escaped and how many were being held at Lusignan Prison. At the press conference, both subject Minister Khemraj Ramjattan and acting Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels responded lightly to calls for an independent count of the prison population when the media asked if Government was willing for an independent verification of the prison numbers.
“You’re giving the impression that you know somebody that might have escaped, but we don’t have his name, but if you could help me with that situation that is causing that problem with you, I would love to have it,” was the response that Minister Ramjattan gave to the reporter who posed the question.
The Prisons Director shared similar sentiments, but cautioned that inaccuracies over prison numbers could create further unrest. He noted that 210 prisoners were transferred and added that records of all other numbers of those prisoners who were granted early release and bail were present and could be verified.
Samuels also observed that at Sunday’s locking down tally at 16:00h in the Lusignan facility, 99 prisoners were in the swamped area, 104 were in the new holding area and 136 were within the actual prison. However, it was during Monday morning’s tally that it was discovered that 13 inmates fled the swamped area. Samuels maintained that his current numbers were accurate.
“At the end of the day, even if we try to ‘jook the books’, we are responsible for all of the persons who were deemed to be in custody for that day,” Samuels stressed.
When asked if he had any issue with the numbers being independently verified, the official retorted: “I wish that they would put you to head it, I have no problem – anybody. As far as I am aware, the Guyana Prison Service has not provided any false information as it relates to the number of persons we were accounting at the Georgetown Prison and the amount we are accounting for now.” On Monday, Police were able to recapture seven of the 13 inmates that the Prison Services announced had escaped while an additional four who were said to have escaped from Camp Street Prison remained at large.