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New prison out of the question at this time — Ramjattan
In the wake of the recent Camp Street Prison tragedy that left 17 dead and several others injured, Minister
Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan
of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, is saying that calls for a new Prison will not be met at this time.
He said, too, that prisoners will not be given all that they are demanding.
The Minister told Kaieteur News that this is solely because of the fact that the government simply cannot afford to fund these requests at the moment.
Ramjattan said that Guyana will get a new prison when the country finds itself in a better position, financially. The Minister said that when the prices for the main commodities Guyana produces escalate and the country rakes in greater profits, only then can the government be able to build a new prison.
Ramjattan said that based on the information he received, the cheapest prison has a price tag of no less than $6B. He pointed out that shabby work cannot be risked as strong walls and good ground are needed “so that the prisoners won’t be able to burrow themselves like the Mexican drugs dealer.”
“Imagine if we move to spend that sort of money now, the media would rip us apart. You will ask if that is our priority just eight months in office,” said Ramjattan.
He continued, “Should the comfort of prisoners be our priority? Should we close down another sugar estate to get at least a $2B from there to offset expenses? That would be absolute trouble.”
Ramjattan also told Kaieteur News that he approached the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) as well as some of Guyana’s other financial partners none of whom are willing to come on board to fund a prison. “It will have to be funded from our money.”
Ramjattan pleaded that the public understands the difficulties facing the APNU+AFC government which he
PPP General Secretary, Clement Rohee
claims has the interest of every citizen at heart and wants to do what is right.
The Minister said out that it is already very expensive to maintain prisoners. He said that the state foots a Bill of $475,000 a year per prisoner for food alone.
He said that while he would want the criminals to be comfortable, “we just cannot afford it.”
Ramjattan said that the “chattering class” feels as if it has all the answers and can fix everything with the click of a finger; “but it is not that easy in reality.”
He told Kaieteur News that while the building of a new prison is off the table for now, the government will be looking to address other factors that could have contributed to the cause of last Thursday’s disturbances.
In this regard, the APNU+AFC government will be advocating for and implementing measures to secure faster trials, lowered bail for minor offences and remission “because tension rise when the prison is overcrowded. But when the President (David Granger) pardoned some youngsters who were imprisoned for minor offences thus reducing the crowd the chattering class has a lot to say.”
Even former Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, is against the building of a new prison at this time. At a press conference held at Freedom House yesterday, Rohee told reporters, “Forget this question of building a new prison. There will always be complications about whether money should be spent on a new prison or should be spent on hospital, school or road.
“Every government around the world faces that dilemma and usually the support comes down to using the money for a social project.”
Rohee said that instead, attention should be placed on the recommendations that came out of the Discipline Services Commission report.
That report offered the extension of the Mazaruni prison as a solution. The suggestion was that petty offenders should be placed there instead of having them at Camp Street Prison. (Abena Rockcliffe)
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