Timehri Prison inmates harvest crops under revived GPS agriculture programme

With agriculture being one of the main rehabilitation programmes offered by the Guyana Prison Service (GPS), inmates at the Timehri Prison on Friday harvested a quantity of bora and cucumbers from the prison farm. The exercise marked one of the first successful yields since the GPS formally resumed its agricultural drive earlier this year, aimed at boosting both self-sustainability within the prison system and the skills of inmates. In January, the Prison Service had announced plans to revive its long-standing agriculture programme, which in previous years produced significant quantities of crops and livestock. The initiative was temporarily halted in late 2024 due to security concerns, but following a comprehensive review and the strengthening of Standard Operational Procedures, the programme has been reintroduced. The new guidelines are designed to improve supervision of inmates working on prison farms and prevent future breaches. Director of Prisons Nicklon Elliot, speaking at a meeting with agriculture officers on January 23, underscored that all prison farmlands will now be fully utilised for large-scale farming. In addition to crop cultivation and harvesting, poultry rearing is also being expanded as part of the programme. Already, the GPS has procured thousands of broilers and layers for poultry operations at Lusignan and Mazaruni Prisons. Pork and tilapia production will also be prioritised, alongside the cultivation of high-demand crops such as pepper, fine-leaf thyme, and broad-leaf thyme. The Timehri harvest of bora and cucumbers is the latest step in rolling out this larger strategy.

To support the expansion, the 2025 national budget provided for the acquisition of new equipment, including two tractors with trailers and ploughs, as well as an excavator to aid with land preparation and drainage works. Farming operations are expected to continue at Mazaruni, Lusignan, and Timehri prisons.

Director Elliot has consistently emphasised that the initiative forms a critical part of the Prison Service’s strategic plan, which seeks to reduce reliance on external supplies, while also offering inmates meaningful rehabilitation opportunities. “Agriculture not only provides food but also gives inmates a sense of purpose and practical skills that can help them reintegrate into society,” he stated. The Prison Service has also extended gratitude to the Ministry of Agriculture and the Prison Service’s Agriculture Board for their ongoing technical support, which it says remains vital to ensuring the programme’s success and its broader contribution to Guyana’s agriculture sector. Friday’s harvest at Timehri is being seen as a tangible sign of progress toward these goals, with further expansions in both crop and livestock production expected in the coming months.