Former Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels, who was sent on accumulated vacation leave in December 2020, has been moved to the Ministry of Home Affairs as Assistant Coordinator on People Smuggling.
Deputy Director of Prisons Niclon Elliot has been overseeing the operations of the prisons since Samuels was sent on vacation leave for four months.
Samuels was appointed acting Director of Prisons in 2017 and was subsequently confirmed in the post in January 2020.
See below for a statement from Samuels’ lawyer:
UPCOMING END OF VACATION LEAVE AND CHANGE OF COMMAND
OF THE GUYANA PRISON SERVICE
On December 14, 2020, Gladwin Samuels, DSM, the Director of Prisons, was instructed by letter to proceed on 132 days’ vacation leave effective December 15, 2020. This vacation leave had accumulated over a period of time and comes to an end on Sunday, April 25, 2021.
In anticipation of resuming duty, the Director wrote the Ministry of Home Affairs on April 23, 2021 notifying the Minister of the upcoming end of his vacation leave. In response, by letter dated April 23, 2021 the Director was informed that he will be attached to the Ministry of Home Affairs (where he is currently the substantive Director of Prisons) as the Assistant Coordinator on People Smuggling with effect from April 26, 2021; that attachment will be on a full-time basis until further notice; and that he is required to report to the Minister of Home Affairs who will appraise him of the details pertaining to
his duties.
The Director wish to thank all members of the Joint Services, Guyana Prison Service, the public and media for their cooperation and support during the time it was his privilege to be Director of Prisons.
