“To be vigilant, you must be fearless, observant, confident” – Prison Head to officers

…over 300 trained for 2023

Director of Prisons, Nicklon Elliot, has issued a call for Prison officers to remain vigilant while on duty, as they are responsible for the safety and security of inmates.
Last Wednesday and Thursday, the Director of Prisons conducted his quarterly muster and general inspection of officers of the respective Timehri and Mazaruni penitentiaries. And he used that occasion to tell them, “To be vigilant, you must be fearless, observant, and confident. There must never be any doubt that you are observing, analyzing, and ready to protect those under your watch.”
Elliot also told the officers that they should be confident and know exactly what role they are filling in the line of duty. “You are ultimately responsible for safety, security, and supervision of inmates that are under your care,” he stressed.
The quarterly muster is slated for the Prison Headquarters and the Georgetown and Lusignan Prisons over the next week.
Just over one week ago, Ronaldo Parris, a 23-year-old convict, successfully escaped from the Lusignan Prison on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD). The inmate was assigned to Unit 4 within the facility, where he resided alongside a group of individuals with mental illnesses. He reportedly climbed on to a sink to get out of the holding unit, after which he scaled the eastern fence of the prison compound. Prior to his escape, Parris had been serving sentences for two counts of armed robbery.
The incident has sparked heightened concern among authorities, who are diligently working to locate and apprehend this fugitive.
And on May 19, convicted mass murderer Mark Royden Durant, also called “Royden Williams” and “Smallie”, made a daring escape from the maximum security Mazaruni Prison with the assistance of heavily armed individuals. That escape occurred in broad daylight, and involved the use of a speedboat.
During that escape, the Prison escort party accompanying Williams was attacked by individuals on the boat, which was in the Mazaruni River. Those individuals were using AK-47 rifles.
Williams died earlier this month during a confrontation with law enforcement officials. Four Prison officers were among the six persons remanded for aiding his escape.

Trained
Officers of the Prison Service are continuously being trained with the aim of promoting greater efficiency within the apparatus. Some 309 Prison officers have completed a number of courses during the first half of 2023. The ranks were trained by internal and external facilitators, and among the courses completed are Prison Management, Human Rights, and Supervisory Management.
Kevin Pilgrim, the acting Deputy Director of Prisons and Head of the Staff Training Department, has disclosed, “Based on the current budgetary allocations for training, same has been utilised to ensure that staff are exposed to not only institutional training, but at the technical level, so that they can offer more support and guidance to prisoners.”
He also mentioned that training is important to equip Prison staff with the knowledge, skills and attitude to perform their duties well, and to instil in them respect for the rights and dignity of the inmates.
The Director of Prisons added, “Beyond that, the various training programmes foster numerous other beneficial skills and behaviours. It promotes the ability to critically analyse arising and existing problems, and proactively find creative solutions. It advocates self-confidence, taking responsibility, speaking clearly and effectively, working in a team, critically assessing information, and sharing ideas in an engaging and persuasive manner.”
Head of the Prison Service Training Board, Tracy Shamshudeen, has said the Board is working simultaneously with the Prison Directorate to devise management structures to continuously encourage officers to capitalise on training opportunities available locally, regionally or internationally.
Additionally, 250 ranks have been identified for further training for the second half of the year. (G12)