Last week, a series of photographs and videos which depicted prisoners who were sentenced or were on remand for serious criminal offences enjoying their ‘time’ behind bars at what would appear to be a Mother’s Day “lime”.
The prisoners appear to be in a celebratory mood as they took shots of at least two high-priced alcoholic beverages, namely Ciroc Vodka and Hennessy. A portion of the video footage which later emerged showed the men watching cricket on television and bonding while another portion showed at least one prisoner counting a set of $5000 bills and placing them on a plate filled with marijuana and other illegal items.
While Guyanese were not taken aback by the fact that the prisoners had access to cellular devices and social media, they were shocked at the photographic and video evidence of what takes place behind the bars of prisons in Guyana. Many were concerned by the fact that criminals and persons on remand had access to alcoholic beverages and illicit drugs and items within the prison walls.
Also, the fact that prisoners felt that they could upload the video footage and photographs on social media without fear of being reprimanded or discovered is also appalling. The media’s reportage of the photographs and videos which went viral in Guyana has made headlines across the Region and within the Guyanese Diaspora abroad.
The entire episode had made a mockery of Guyana’s penal system and has emboldened the minds of those would-be criminals because they now see it is possible to have a “sweet life” behind bars. Also, it has exposed the fact that there are very serious security breaches taking place within our prison system almost daily, many of which remain unreported and underreported.
The incident has also left more questions than answers in the minds of all those who were puzzled by the Mother’s Day “lime”. Is this the norm when there are other holidays such as Christmas, Mashramani and Easter? Where were the prison wardens at the time the fiesta was taking place? Who was the senior officer on duty at the time? How did the prisoners manage to access cigarettes, marijuana, and money while in jail? Who was the mastermind behind the lucrative trade? How are the prisoners managing to conceal cellular phones with Internet access when the prison authorities claim that they conduct regular routine and unscheduled searches of the prison quarters? Do the prisons have wifi?
That aside, the Government’s response to such a serious security breach could be described as indifferent and cavalier. Apart from President David Granger expressing concern in passing over the issue and Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan ordering a probe, the Government has not expressed outrage or demanded the resignation of the Prisons Director or the senior officers who were on duty. There has been no release of information from the prison itself which suggest that any official has been sent on leave or sanctioned as the internal probe gets underway.
While it is understandable that people are innocent until proven guilty, a situation of this nature demanded more assertive action and a constant release of information about what is being done to the public. Surely, these prisoners having access to social media, the outside world and other forms of illicit substances and improvised weapons could result in more harm being done to the public good and the country’s overall security sector.
More must be done on the part of the Government to pilot and implement prison reforms that would modernise this country’s holding facilities and penitentiaries. Surely, no right-thinking Guyanese would support recreational facilities for prisoners without first having enough programmes aimed at creating behavioural change and a paradigm shift in the psyches of the prisoners themselves.
Given all the unfortunate incidents that have taken place and the fatal events associated with the prisons, the Government should have demanded the resignation of those responsible from a policy and managerial level to send a strong signal that there is nothing to celebrate about being incarcerated or imprisoned for petty and serious offences.
When one is placed behind bars, one is there to be punished for a crime against humanity or the State. One should use that time as a period of introspection, for expressing remorse and regret, and as a means of changing one’s offensive behaviour.
