By Jomo Paul
[www.inewsguyana.com] – A new agreement between the governments of Guyana and the United States of America will see emphasis being placed on elevating the current state of affairs of prisons and holding centres across Guyana.
The new agreement will also be providing support for other elements of law enforcement including the Guyana Police Force and the Customs and Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU).
The agreement which falls under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) was signed on Monday, July 13 between Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge and US Charge d’ Affaires, Bryan Hunt.
Greenidge reported that thus far the US has invested some US$900,000 into Guyana’s security sector; however this venture will be for specific purposes.
The US State Department in a recent report decried the present state of affairs of jails and prisons in Guyana, pointing out that they pose a serious threat to human life.
The State Department 2014 Report on Human Rights featured an extensive exposé on Human Rights in Guyana and other countries around the world.
The Report states that “prison and jail conditions, particularly in police holding cells, were harsh and life threatening. Overcrowding was a severe problem.”
This, according to Greenidge, would be addressed with the view of making the facilities more humane. He pointed out that training sessions will be conducted with Prison Officers and other relevant officials.
Meanwhile, Hunt related that through this new agreement the US has increased its funding to Guyana’s law enforcement by $US900, 000.
“These resources will play a critical role in training and equipping Guyana’s law enforcement agencies to enable them to expand their cooperative efforts to combat trafficking and to strengthen policy capabilities,” Hunt stated.
When your in receipt of tax payers money from the ABC countries to get these initiatives off the ground Bryan Hunt et al have a say in how it’s going to be spent…. The previous government liked to take the money and spend a fraction on the projects and pocket the rest, hence sub-standard work or no work done at all… Now it’s all about accountability
Bryant Hunt seems to be the newly elected president of Guyana.He is making all major decision.
Gosh your dumb, they are upgrading to prevent serious danger occurring to life and limb of those already incarcerated which can have a knock on effect go those working in those prisons too. Anyway, you should be ok with that as it will benefit your previous government ministers when they join the prison population for their thieving of state assets and misdeeds
In several pockets!!
The Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) funds can also be extended to curtail the high crime rate in Guyana as well as invest in crime prevention measure, getting guns out of the hands of criminals and invest in installing cameras in intersection of various streets to include the purchase of sky watch surveillance towers to be placed in high crime areas to combat crime.
Although conditions need to be improved at the holding centres in Guyana criminals continue to pose a serious threat to human life daily. Guyana crime statistics to date reveal staggering rate of murders etc., that plague this nation. US Charge d’ Affaires, Bryan Hunt, please help!!!!
Criminals killing innocent people on the streets and these boys want go make the jails more comfortable for criminals.
What is the priority here?
$900,000 US invested? Where did that money go? Where is the paper trail?