Focus more on rehabilitation instead of prisons; call parliamentary security committee meeting – Ramjattan

Last Updated on Monday, 27 January 2025, 20:20 by Writer

Shadow Home Affairs Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan on Monday recommended that government focusses more on rehabilitation of offenders rather than spending GY$6.2 billion on the construction of new prisons.

He told the National Assembly, in his contribution to the 2025 National Budget debate that rather than jail people “just for minor offences”, he said the focus should be on ensuring that offenders do not commit crimes again.

Mr Ramjattan also proposed that there be an inter-ministry approach to rehabilitating convicts and avoiding recidivism. “That must be coordinated in a strengthened way with social services. We have to look after people with a multi-network of the ministries involved,” he told the House.

Turning his attention to oversight of the security sector, he lamented the failure of the parliamentary bipartisan oversight committee on the security sector to meet since 2020 to shed light on a number of matters including those concerning Police Commissioner, Clifton Hicken. “Not a single meeting thereafter and how can we go now and ask the Police Commissioner ‘please come’,” he said. They include, according to Mr Ramjattan, asking Mr Hicken about the Standing Orders concerning his alleged receipt of GY$8.5 million as a wedding gift for embattled Assistant Police Commissioner, Calvin Brutus and whether he (Mr Hicken) could be appointed after he reached the age of 55.

Similarly, he recommended that oversight mechanisms be in place for the Guyana Fire Service and the Guyana Prisons Service.

In terms of maritime and border security, the former Public Security Minister under the APNU+AFC coalition administration of 2015-2020 cited the need to beef up coastal patrols and the National Forensic Laboratory. He also said there was “very weak” radar coverage of Guyana.

The Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard and the Marine Wing of the Guyana Prison Service have been acquiring offshore patrol vessels and smaller vessels for coastal patrols. The Forensic Laboratory recently acquired a high-tech German-made microscope to conduct a variety of tests.