Camp Street jail must not be allowed to rise again 

Jul 12, 2017 Letters

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Dear Editor,

Firstly permit me to offer my sincere condolences to the grieving family of the deceased Prison Officer. On being made aware of the fire at the Georgetown Prison, my first reaction was” Not again”, followed shortly by “ What’s next”.  What is there to be said, that has not before been said?  There will be finger pointing, and appointees, commissions, omissions and perhaps demissions, there will be shame and blame, tears and fears and the accompanying schisms about the prisons.  After the deadly fire of March 2016, lawyer Selwyn Pieters representing the Guyana Prison Service openly stated that the Guyana Government needed to invest financially towards the construction of a brick prison, particularly since the main prison is located in the city of Georgetown, which is also the country’s business capital.

The lawyer further went on to point out that Kevin Pilgrim, Officer-in-Charge of the Georgetown Prisons, in his testimony, had said the old wooden structures make it easy for inmates to hide contraband, and pose challenges for officers assigned to the living units. The challenges were never identified. “Wood buildings at the Georgetown prisons… have their place, and their place now is ‘historic relics’; those are not places to house prisoners,” Pieters told the commission at that time.

No answers elicited, —but what was the purpose of a Commission if their recommendations are not adhered to.  Was the Commission used as the mythical sop to Cerberus? One has to wonder if the responsible governmental agencies conducted a thorough “cause mapping” following the previous tragedy.  The picture above is certainly not typical of prison inmates. Perhaps if the inmates were given identifiable prison garbs, such as is done in prisons the world over then initial getaway and consequent recapturing would not prove such an arduous task.

Again, at the risk of appearing to be laying blame, nevertheless, some degree of serious accountability is demanded of the prison personnel. The Director of Prisons said that the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were adhered to as the events unfolded.  There were also reports of gun shots being fired. Gun shots fired by whom?  Whose gun was used to shoot Jason Maltay in the leg?  Perhaps further procedural explanation is necessary to explain the fact that after the fire within the prison confines, several prisoners were being held in the Prison Officers Club, and they also set fire to the building.

Were they searched prior to being taken to the new place of safety, bearing in mind the circumstances under which they were departing their previous residence?  How did this surfeit of incendiary agents (matches) find its way within the walls of the prison?  How often are cells searched? What manner of search is conducted on visitors?  Jocularity aside, what do the prisoners know that the prison personnel don’t, but should know?

At the very most according to the Director, it is known that the fire was a distraction so that UreeVarswyk also known as Malcolm Gordon and Mark Royden Durant known as Royden Williams could escape.  To quote Alfred Lord Tennyson_-Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.

In a recent article following the stabbing death of an inmate at the New Amsterdam prison, the following was stated. Prisons are stressful, anxiety producing an environment that have been known to bring out the strangest behavior in individuals who find themselves behind its walls, but let this incident serve as a pressing need for the corrective personnel to take careful heed. As for the construction of jukers or other implements of harm, the officials had better take notice and bear in mind that one day they may be at the receiving end.   What implement was used to inflict the wounds on now deceased warden Hubert Trim?

There was no mention made of a sprinkler system being in place at the prison. What an archaic mode of firefighting, in that the water pressure had to be lowered in other areas in order to ensure maximum supply at the prison.

As I have said before this is certainly not the time for the assignment of  blame, as there is certainly no absence of supply or recipients.  There appears to be far more questions than answers.  I am that there will most certainly be action now, especially with the death of prison personnel in the execution of duty.  The Union will most certainly be flexing their muscles as they seek parlance with relevant authorities on the matter.

From the ashes of the burnt buildings, a sad and gloomy picture emerges for the world to view – one that clearly reflects the state of the country and the plight of the people. The resultant message is loud and clear— The Georgetown jail should not be allowed to rise like the phoenix from the ashes. On a cautionary note, to this end a clear message I will send, in building the new prison, the Government could, and should avoid wood. Let it be replete with concrete.

Yvonne Sam

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