38 custodial staff to 996 inmates… Current staff to prisoner ratio recipe for continuous disturbances

Jun 14, 2016 News

– COI report

With a ratio of 38 custodial staff to 996 inmates, the Guyana Prison Service, (GPS) is a recipe for institutional deficiencies that has rendered the prison administration incapable of addressing its challenges.

A batch of prison officers following a graduation ceremony.

The report on the Commission of Inquiry, (COI) into the Georgetown Prison has pinpointed that staff fatigue and non-responsiveness assists the subcultures of prisoners which are stronger than the officers’ culture of unity and professionalism.
According to the report, limited staffing contributes to lack of training, as ranks and officers cannot be adequately trained.
“This develops a culture of incompetence and lack of professionalism. Inadequate staffing over the years contributed to the current state of crisis management and custodial responsiveness within the service.”
The report compiled by a three-member commission also noted the apparent lack of negotiating skills by senior administrators to quell prisoners’ aggressive behaviour.
In relation to the March 3, 2016 incident, the Commission stated that “the argument can also be made that the prisoners were very enraged (that) reasoning seemed impossible and that things happened so fast that negotiation became impossible.”
“However, the ability to engage and negotiate with prisoners under such circumstances is critical.”
The report also highlighted the limited number of qualified staff and training facilities to have prisoners adequately engaged in rehabilitative training opportunities.
“This shortage allows for boredom and the manifestation of illegal and disruptive behaviour. A number of prisoners exhibit a limited sense of lawful goal-oriented behaviour on their discharge from prison. This has a strong correlation to higher incidents of recidivism rate…” the report said.
In light of the statistics, the commission proposed that the custodial staffing to be increased immediately to match the operational and management readiness of the prisons.
“The ratio of female to male custodial staff (is) to be reviewed. The current staffing is a recipe for continuous disturbances and security threats to the community at large.”
The COI also recommends creation of a High Level Committee representing all of the agencies with responsibilities to the prison system, with the purpose of creating and overseeing implementation of a coordinated strategy for reducing and sustaining the prison population to levels compatible with the UN Minimum Standard Rules for the Treatment of Offenders.
“The Prison Service should adopt a management philosophy that encompasses modern principles of justice, management, training, humane conditions, discipline and use of force. The Restorative Justice philosophy can be explored in this regard.”
In relation to the training of ranks, the commission proposed a more structured strategy in keeping with promoting management efficiency and a career development path in the Guyana Prison Service.
“The Strategic Plan (2010-2020) is a vehicle/platform to develop the Guyana Prison Service and must be pursued intentionally and strategically. The eight pillars of development stated in the plan are structured and detailed approaches to the development of the Guyana Prison Service.”
“Special courses that must be included in training are correctional leadership, modern correctional philosophy, control and restraints, developmental psychology, intelligence gathering, ethics in Corrections and managing security threats groups (STGS).”
Additionally, to increase the capability of custodial supervisory staff in the short term, the panel recommended recruiting retired senior non Commission Officers from the Guyana Defence Force. They must be carefully selected and appropriately trained to perform their new duties in keeping with modern prison philosophy.
The COI was to inquire into the deadly fire, which claimed the lives of 17 prisoners at the Georgetown Prison in March. The COI was ordered by President David Granger.
The President appointed Justice James Patterson, Merle Mendonca and retired Director of Prisons, Dale Erskine, as Commissioners to oversee the work.
The panel was expected to investigate, examine and report on the causes, circumstances and conditions that led to the disturbances on the morning of March 3, 2016, that resulted in the death of prisoners and any other subsequent disturbances at the Camp Street Prisons; the nature of all injuries sustained by the Prisoners, and any other subsequent disturbances.

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