Prison officers told to desist from using excessive force, follow proper procedures

Prison officers need to change their culture and mindset in order to transform the environment of the local prisons and to do this, the Prisons Director reminded them, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and regulations must be adhered to when executing their duties.

“You are the driving force for the enforcement of SOPs.

“You are the ones who supposed to be setting the right standard at your level. You are the ones who supposed to be ensuring that those below you understand what is required,” Director of Prisons, Nicklon Elliot said on Friday.

Elliot was addressing senior officers gathered at the opening Guyana Prison Service Chief Officers’ Conference which was held at the Guyana National Racquet Centre at Woolford Avenue, Georgetown.

The conference will run from April 11 to 12 and will bring together senior officers to review their achievements, address operational challenges, and plan for the year ahead.

Reflecting on incidents such as escape of inmates and prisoner to prisoner attacks, Elliot said these are as a result of lack of enforcement of the SOPs.

“You need to be that enforcer of the SOPs. Enforcer of the regulations and once you do that I am almost certain despite all of the challenges with staff shortages….we will see improvements in the organisation,” Elliot said.

Local prisons have a population of over 2,200.

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, in his remarks said the prison service is a reflection of the society. And so he urged prison officers to change the approach and mindset of prisoners through rehabilitation.

“We are not running a cruelty system. We are running a rehabilitation system. The men and women in prisons were not born bad, they were not born as criminals.

“So the societal response to bad behaviour, to criminal behaviour, to the requirement to lock people up, has to be one that is more empathetic, less cruel,” Benn said.

Acknowledging that the job of a prison officer is “significant and tedious,” Benn said the key focus is to prepare prisoners so that they are better individuals and can be reintegrated into society about their release.

“Don’t beat them. Don’t create situations which move to the point where you have to use force.

“I keep saying…use baton if you have to use appropriately, pepper spray, taser, if a firearm has to be used, fire it at the fire or at the leg. We are not there to kill people,” Benn noted.