Dear Editor,

I am a prisoner of New Amsterdam female prison. On many occasions the matrons have brought knitting thread for the inmates to work but at the end of the day we are not paid at all.

Many prisoners who knit rely on this talent to provide for their personal needs. However, we have to pay to send out our knitting. Please bear in mind that we purchase our knitting thread, needles and cloth from tuck-shop inside the prison, therefore it is very unfair when we do not get paid for our work. Everything is quite expensive in the tuck-shop. We have families out there whom we care about, and they care for us, but at the same time our talent has to provide for us.

Another very important issue is the meals. It is true that prisoners cook for prisoners and officers, but these prisoners have to work with orders. We are served the lowest grade of brown rice which smells bad. The food is not tasty since it is seldom cooked with Aji or a cube, onions, seasoning, etc. Vegetarians eat chunks stewed or curried twice a day, while chicken, beef and fish are prepared in that same fashion. We have rice twice a day every day and bread twice a week; fruit, vegetables and soups are scarce commodities. There is hardly any milk in our porridge, and yet our kitchen bakes pastries twice a week and cooks the very best for officers’ functions and officers.

Why should we have to eat slush when we are being provided for? My family pays their taxes and so does every other Guyanese. We deserve better as humans. Many times when we go to the kitchen to ask for a little butter, salt or sugar we are chased away like dogs with rude remarks.

A few months back we noticed one case of pinesol entered the prison and up to the point of writing only one bottle was distributed between four dorms. We do not even benefit from the pads, toilet paper, soap, soap powder, toothbrushes, toothpaste or anything that is donated to us. But what can we do except write and hope that our letters will be published so that the public can have a view of what goes on in prison behind closed doors.

Yours faithfully,
(Name provided)

Editor’s note

We sent a copy of this letter to Director of Prisons, Mr Dale Erskine, for any comment he might have wished to make, and received the following response:

“Thank you very much for your letter dated March 4, 2010 which focused on the concerns purportedly made by some female inmates at the New Amsterdam facility. An immediate investigation was launched into the allegations made. It was noted from that investigation that a number of the allegations were blown out of proportion while others were substantiated.

Nevertheless the letter did provide the administration with the opportunity to engage the prisoners in more open dialogues to address their concerns which directly affect their incarceration. The Prisons Administration in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs remains committed to the general welfare of inmates as well as to their improvement and will fervently uphold this objective.

“This late response is sincerely regretted.

“Thank you once again.”