The prison population as of December 1, 2006 was 1,955 and 170 prisoners were incarcerated in the Georgetown prison for the capital offence of murder.

This figure represents the largest number of prisoners for that offence among the prisons in Guyana. Countrywide, 226 persons were in jail following charges of murder – 31 convicted and the rest unconvicted

Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee yesterday made these disclosures in the National Assembly in a written response to questions asked by the Alliance for Change’s Member of Parliament Raphael Trotman.

The report by the minister stated that a total of 1,955 persons were incarcerated in the prisons throughout Guyana. The population at the Georgetown prison at December 1 was 983. The Georgetown Prison has a long history of being overcrowded but the current number is down from previous figures.

The Mazaruni prison has 361 convicted prisoners and is closely followed by Georgetown, which has 346.

The Georgetown prison meanwhile holds 637 unconvicted prisoners out of a total of 797 while New Amsterdam has 118 male unconvicted prisoners.

Offences against the person (general) accounted for 302 prisoners – 227 convicted and 75 unconvicted. Up to December 1 last year a total of 224 men were convicted for narcotics related offences while 128 are awaiting decisions in their cases.

There were twelve rape convicts and five more are still before the courts. Fifteen prisoners are presently serving sentences for carnal knowledge while thirty-nine are awaiting their fates.

Twenty-seven persons have been convicted for firearm related offences while thirteen remain unconvicted.

Forty women have been convicted up to December 1 last and are being housed at the New Amsterdam prison. Among them, ten were found guilty of trafficking in narcotics, seven for marjuana, three for manslaughter and two for murder. Meanwhile thirty-nine unconvicted women are at the same prison. Thirteen of them are on a charge of trafficking in cocaine while ten face the capital offence of murder.