With two consecutive years of prison catastrophes under its belt, the Government has moved to approve the appointment of members of the Timehri Prison visiting committee – one of several committees the Administration was criticised for not having in place.
The appointments, which are retroactive, take effect from April of last year until March 31, 2018. The order was ratified by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon and Cabinet Secretary Edward Persico, and gazetted.
The Chairman of the committee will be local businessman Ayube Mohamed; Reverend Raphael Massiah, the head of the First Assembly of God Church;
The remains of the Camp Street Prison
Odetta Fogeny, a youth activist; Attorney-at-Law Jaya Singh-Backreddy; security specialist Leslie Glasgow and the committee’s secretary, Linda Paul.
In March of 2016, a fire had raged through the Camp Street Prison and claimed the lives of 17 prisoners. Afterwards, a Commission of Inquiry, which cost the treasury some $13 million, was ordered by President David Granger.
According to the report compiled by the Commissioners, the combination of overcrowded, uncomfortable and unhygienic confinement were all ideal conditions for epidemics, for gangs to prosper and to propagate discontent.
Moreover, the CoI found that reducing numbers in prisons to manageable levels was the single most important priority for establishing safe, humane and purposeful prisons. It was further noted that repeat offenders have increased by over 100 per cent, “indicating not only a waste of taxpayer dollars but also the need for a more comprehensive and structured partnership within the wider justice system”. But despite these recommendations, the Director of Prisons himself confirmed that at the time of the fire that gutted Camp Street Prison last year, over 1000 prisoners were being housed at the prison. Camp Street Prison was originally built to house nearly half that number.
