Benn stresses that prison conditions must improve

Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn (centre in front row) and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Mae Thomas (third from right in front row) pose with the Joint Services heads including Director of Prisons (ag) Nicklon Elliot and senior officers participating in the conference.

Acknowledging that the authorities are still “wrestling” to find the best approaches to reform the prison system, Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn yesterday said that the overall aim is to improve the living conditions in the country’s prison facilities.

“…We have to improve the conditions. We can’t reform them unless we improve the conditions. ….If we don’t strategically and in detail look at all the issues in relation to how we keep them, how we train them and improve those things, we won’t be making progress in respect to this matter. This is a critical task going forward,” Benn said during his address at the opening ceremony of the Guyana Prison Service’s (GPS) Senior Officer’s Conference.

The two-day conference is being held at the Guyana Police Force Training Centre, Camp Street, under the theme “Working towards improving the image of the Guyana Prison Service”.