$1.2B contract signed to reconstruct Lusignan Prison

Jun 17, 2021 News

A $1.2B contract was yesterday signed by the Ministry of Home Affairs for the reconstruction of the Lusignan Prison, which is located on the East Coast of Demerara.
According to a post on the Ministry’s Facebook page, signing on behalf of the Ministry was Permanent Secretary (PS), Ms. Mae Toussaint Jr. Thomas, and the contract awardees are Mohamed Enterprise, M&P Investment in a joint venture with Construtora Cobra Eireli, and Nabi Construction Inc.

The Lusignan Prison.

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn [sixth left], and others yesterday at the signing of the $1.2B contract for the reconstruction of the Lusignan Prison.

The signed contract was signed to an estimated cost of $1.2B for the reconstruction of the prison Lots 1-3, Guyana Prison Service (GPS), Region Four. At the signing of the contract, Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn, stated, “The signing ceremony will aid in the successful rehabilitation and education of offenders and enhance the prison system to ensure offenders are not a risk to public security and safety.”
According to reports, the sum of $5B was allocated in the 2021 budget to enhance the operations of the GPS, including upgrading the Lusignan and New Amsterdam prisons.
Over the past couple of years, several inmates have escaped from the Lusignan Prison. The most recent escapes were that of a murder accused and another accused of breaking and entering. They escaped from the prison on June 8, 2021. According to reports, the police have since apprehended the break and enter accused, Andrew Chaung, 26, of Lot 73 New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara, while murder accused, Shazam Kalil, 24, of Lot 53 Shieldstown, West Bank Berbice, is still at large.
Apart from inmates constantly escaping from that prison, during July 2020 a fire at the prison left 15 injured and destroyed sections of the correctional facility. The fire caused damage mainly to the administrative building and an old building that was formerly used to house inmates. It was reported that the fire spread quickly due to the old, wooden buildings in the compound, but the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) was able to extinguish the fire before it got to the prison.
Approximately two months after the fire, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, announced that $200M was allocated for the reconstruction of the Lusignan Prison.
However, during a telephone interview yesterday with this publication, Minister Benn noted that the $200M was used for land clearing, fencing a large area and sand filling at the Lusignan Prison.
According to the Minister, the $1.2B will be used to build a prison complex and that two dormitories are just about completed so that they can move the prisoners to a more hygienic place. He added that the dormitories will house the prisoners temporarily, but when the prison complex is completed, the dormitory will be used as a rehabilitation/workshop training area.

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