Minor offenders receiving bail as Govt tries to reduce prison population

Jul 11, 2017 News, http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....e-prison-population/

– Over 300 Camp St. prisoners transferred to Timehri, New Amsterdam

– Others to remain at Lusignan Prison

As the authorities grapple to take control of Sunday’s afternoon fire and jail break situation at the Camp Street prison, minor offenders in the various facilities across the country are being granted bail to accommodate prisoners from Georgetown.

Inmates who would have committed petty crimes were given self-bail and reduced bail for offences ranging from simple larceny, frauds, perjury, damage to property, smoking, dangerous driving and cocaine below 25 grams.

This was done at the Lusignan, Timehri and New Amsterdam Prisons.
On Sunday night, some 1010 of 1018 prisoners from the Camp Street jail were taken to the Lusignan Prison where they were being monitored by soldiers, prison guards and the police.

Up to late yesterday, Camp Street’s inmates were being taken to New Amsterdam and Timehri prisons, while arrangements are being made to send some to Mazaruni.

Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan said that in the next 72 hours, the government should reduce the numbers of Camp Street inmates from about 1,000 to about 450 by transfers and sending petty offenders on bail.

Kaieteur News understands that the plan is to move at least 300 prisoners (from Camp Street) to other prisons while the others remain at Lusignan.

THE SCENE AT LUSIGNAN PRISON
At the Lusignan prison yesterday, relatives of inmates who were taken there from Camp Street gathered on the roadway (Golf Course road) since 04:00 hrs yesterday after they heard that minor offenders would have been released on bail.

There was a long line of irate relatives, but ranks from the Tactical Service Unit managed to keep them under control.

“Look, I hearing since four o’clock in the morning they bailing these boys and up to now (2 in the afternoon) these men (prisoners) ain’t coming out,” one woman said.

She further noted that her son was remanded for disorderly behaviour after he could not have afforded the $15,000 bail.

“I hear they reducing the bail, so I borrowed money and come till from the highway. I hearing my son deh naked, but I taking him home just like that. I want he out of here,” she said, while adding that she panicked when she learnt of the incident.

When Magistrates Alisha George, Peter Hugh and Zamilla Ally-Seepaul, along with three others, arrived at the prison under police protection, relatives were cheering.

“Finally, they (inmates) are going to come out. We are finally going to see them,” relatives shouted.

Meanwhile, those from Camp Street were not mixed with the inmates at Lusignan. They were placed in an open field in the prison compound.

In a video filmed from inside and circulated on social media, inmates were heard complaining about the lack of toilet facilities in the area they were placed and the fact that animals were on the field with them.

REDUCING SENTENCES
Kaieteur News has been informed that inmates who would have served more than half of their sentences in the various prisons were allowed to leave on their own recognizance.

Persons who had three months or less remaining on their sentence were allowed to leave yesterday.

However, this process took some time, because documentation had to be sorted out.

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