Dear Editor,
It seems to many of us beleaguered taxpayers that the old adage that crime pays is true, when I read what it costs the Guyana government to keep a prisoner in the Camp Street facilities.
We learned that the state of Guyana spends approximately $485,000 on one prisoner per year at the Camp Street penitentiary, which amounts to $1,329 per day, while repeat offenders have increased dramatically. This was disclosed in the findings of the recent Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Camp Street prison riot that claimed seventeen lives following a fire on March 3rd.
Editor, criminals commit crimes on and at the cost of taxpayers. Criminals are imprisoned at the cost of taxpayers and government monies. My suggestion here is that ways and means must be explored to punish them while also seeing that they pay for their expenses in prison.
Recently we learned that the President went to the Mazaruni to inspect conditions there. I would suggest that all prisoners be sent to the Mazuruni penitentiary as there is lots of land there for agriculture and dairy farming, and lots of space also for the comfort of all inmates. That would be a cheaper option by far!
Yours faithfully,
Rooplall Dudhnath