Strengthened programmes for rehabilitation, reintegration of prisoners- Home Affairs Minister

Last Updated on Monday, 27 January 2025, 20:25 by Writer

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn on Monday said several programmes have been put in place to rehabilitate and reintegrate prisoners into the society.

Rebutting Shadow Home Affairs Minister Khemraj Ramjattan on the point that more needed to be done in this regard, Mr Benn said there has been a tremendous increase in the facilities. They include the establishment of vocational sections for prisoners at prisons.

He gave the example of a number of prisoners having been trained through a “Fresh Start” programme in vocational areas of their interest. At the end of their prison terms, Mr Benn said they would be provided with equipment so that they could “start businesses to support themselves and their families.”

“There has been a significant effort to enhancing security measures at the prison to prevent escapes. We have been working at modernization of the operating procedures,” the Home Affairs Minister said.

Mr Benn said government has been improving the training and psychological readiness both of prisoners and members of the Guyana Prison Service. In that regard, he said government has constructed a prison school at Lusignan.

Meanwhile, the Home Affairs Minister restated that there has been a 12.2 percent reduction in serious crime as well as a 50.5 percent clear-up rate of the 624 cases last year, compared to 19 percent in 2020. He said law enforcement agencies last year made a “big dent” in illegal arms with the seizure of 178 guns last year.

Of the 1,535 domestic violence cases in 2024, he said there were 911 cases and 167 convictions, marking a “steep increase over previous years”. In the area of drugs, he said there were 1,463 seizures, 581 reports and 77 convictions. He said there were 31 reports of trafficking in persons and six cases.