Prison Service Headquarters commissioned at Lusignan

…as trade shops; vocational training school; new kitchen; living quarters also unveiled
The Home Affairs Ministry on Monday officially commissioned the newly constructed Guyana Prison Service (GPS) Headquarters at Lusignan, marking a major step in modernising the country’s correctional services.
The new headquarters, relocated from its long-standing Brickdam office, is situated within the Lusignan Prison compound. It provides expanded administrative space, improved staff coordination and closer integration of security and rehabilitative functions. Officials say the move is intended to strengthen oversight, improve efficiency and support a more balanced focus on safety, rehabilitation and reintegration. As part of the commissioning, plaques were unveiled for several new facilities completed at Lusignan.

These include six newly constructed cell blocks, representing a $2.2 billion investment. The blocks are designed to increase capacity, improve living conditions, and enhance safety and supervision across the facility.
Additional facilities have also been opened to support rehabilitation and inmate services. These include the Trade Shops, valued at $54.3 million, which provide training in practical skills; the Infirmary Annex, at $35.8 million, which expands healthcare provision; and the Vocational Training School, at $102.1 million, supported by ancillary works costing $29.2 million, to deliver education and skills development programmes. Operational upgrades were also highlighted. These include a new kitchen, at $54.8 million, for meal preparation; living quarters for female officers, at $60.2 million; and senior officers’ living quarters, at $91.9 million—all aimed at improving staff accommodation.
Delivering the feature address, Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn said the Government’s investment extends beyond infrastructure to the rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates. He stressed that correctional facilities must contribute to reducing recidivism.
“This new headquarters and the other facilities we are building here stand as a metaphor for transformation,” Benn stated. “While we are putting in the physical infrastructure, the next big step is performance. We must carefully examine whether there is transformation in the types of crimes and in the individuals committing them and then identify the best results and approaches.”
Reflecting on the state of prisons before 2020, Benn noted that overcrowding and poor conditions had left inmates in dire circumstances. He said significant upgrades at Lusignan, Mazaruni and other prisons have since improved conditions for both inmates and staff.
“The prison system is a window into our society,” he added. “It reflects our trauma, our brokenness, and our failures, but also our opportunity to heal. We must offer those who fall the opportunity to rise again.”
He urged prison officers to maintain security while treating inmates with dignity. “I do not want prisoners beaten; they must be treated with respect. The aim is to shift the service’s focus from simply incarcerating individuals to actively and conscientiously rehabilitating them,” he said.
Director of Prisons (ag) Nicklon Elliot, in his remarks, described the new headquarters as part of a broader national initiative to improve conditions and modernise correctional infrastructure. He said architectural changes are being made to create environments that promote learning, skills development and healthier inmate-staff interactions.
Elliot reaffirmed the Prison Service’s commitment to rehabilitation and reintegration, urging officers to support the Government’s vision of a modern correctional system built on dignity, opportunity and security.
The ceremony was attended by Permanent Secretary Andre Ally, Deputy Director of Prisons (ag) Kevin Pilgrim, and other senior officials.