The Lusignan Prison should be closed down without delay, according to the United Nations’ Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, which says the facility is “not fit for human habitation.”
In a preliminary report last Friday, presented upon the conclusion of a five-day visit to Guyana, the Group issued a raft of recommendations addressing the state of the country’s penal system, stating that steps should be taken to improve the infrastructure and hygienic conditions within prisons, bringing them within international standards.
“All prisons must be operated in accordance with international human rights obligations, including the Mandela Rules,” it said, while adding that overcrowding within prisons and detention centres must be approached with urgency.