The security expert from the United Kingdom that is here assisting Government with its Security Sector Reform Programme (SSRP) will be looking into the local prison systems in the coming months.
Prison reforms are to focus on overcrowding among other areas
This is according to Head of the British Mission in Guyana, Gregory Quinn. He told reporters during a press conference on Thursday that UK Security expert, Russell Combe, has completed and handed over his preliminary findings as it relates to the Security Sector Reform Programme to the Guyana Government in June.
However, that report focused on reforms within the local Police Force, Quinn noted.
To this end, he added that when Combe, who is currently on leave, returns, he will turn his attention to reforms within the prison system.
“His plan, when he came back, was actually to start working on the prison service and that predated the events at Camp Street (Prison) so actually he had already intended to look into the Prison Service whenever he returns and of course that is being given some amount of increased importance after the events at Camp Street,” the British envoy stated.
According to the British High Commissioner, while he is not sure what areas the security expert will focus on in terms of prison reforms, he believes that work needs to be done with regards to the treatment of prisoners.
“One of the fundamental problems with the prison system is the fact that there are prisoners on remand there who have been on remand for longer than the prison sentence they would receive if they were convicted. But the Prison Service is sort of held hostage by other parts of the system so there is definitely a need to reform and to speed up some of the judicial processes,” he pointed out.
Quinn went on to add that work can be done on alternative sentencing. He said it does not have to automatically be custodial, adding that in the United Kingdom fines and probations are also used as forms of sentencing.
“So I think a lot of where we would come from would be aimed at addressing an issue which exists on overcrowding. Also, if you have a prison like Camp Street, should you actually have high risks, highly dangerous prisoners in exactly the same location as remand prisoners? So I think there is work to be done on that as well,” he contended.
On this note, the British High Commissioner lauded Government’s plans to set up a state-of-the-art prison at Mazaruni, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).
Following the July 9, 2017, jailbreak and fire that flattened the Georgetown Prison, Government revealed plans to construct a new prison at Mazaruni – a project that will cost some $2 billion.
According to Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, this project will streamline the local prison system as well as reduce the overpopulation.
Meanwhile, with regards to the preliminary assessment report on the SSRP, Quinn disclosed that Combe’s findings focuses on the processes and procedures across the Police Force. However, he noted that while the training was recommended for the Police, certain broad aspects will see other security sectors benefiting such as strategic policies and maritime capability.
“I don’t think there is anything which (Combe) has found which has not been seen in any of the many reports which has actually been done. I think a lot of that stuff goes around, making sure the proper people are in the proper positions with the proper skills, that promotion is based on merit, that accommodation and Police stations are up to scratch, that processes for discipline exists, that Standing Orders exists,” the UK Diplomat stressed.
During a meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron in September 2015, President David Granger had requested that the multimillion-dollar security sector reform programme be revived.
An analysis was subsequently done on the current state of the local security sector and contains an action plan going forward as well as how the UK Government can assist in executing the plan.
As part of the implementation phase, the UK Security Expert was recruited on a one-year programme to guide and advise the Guyanese Government on reforming the security sector.
