460 prisoners given reduced sentences

Mar 27, 2017 News

– for Republic Anniversary

Four hundred and sixty prisoners countrywide have been granted reduced sentences.
Acting Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels, said that the ‘Special Remission’ was granted to these inmates, who are orderlies, for the country’s 47th Republic Anniversary.
“This is for prisoners who work in the prisons, and are not paid,” Samuels said.
“It’s a form of reward for daily contribution to the prisons. They work in the tailor shops, farms, kitchens, clean the yards, transport self-support meals.
At the end of the month, we calculate the value of that labour. So, as a form of compensation, they receive Special Remission, which is reduced time on their sentences.
“It is a form of incentive for those who are serving long terms. If you look at the preparation of meals for 1,000 people a day (at the penal institutions), the bulk of it is done by prisoners.”
Among those benefiting from special remission are 64 inmates from the Georgetown Prisons, 89 male and female inmates from the New Amsterdam Prisons; 202 from Mazaruni; 59 from the Lusignan Prisons and 46 from the Timehri Prison.
A total of 8,743 days were taken off from the sentences.
“In the past, it was seven to 28 days, but this time we started from 14 to 21, to 28 days,” Samuels said.
The Acting Director said that in the past, inmates convicted for serious offences were not among those considered. This time, however, some who were convicted for capital offences were among those have had their sentences reduced.
According to Samuels, “many of them are well behaved and go beyond the call of duty of what is required.
“This (decision) was carefully considered, and in my view, they deserve more than that.”

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