In keeping with the recommendations made by British security adviser Lt Col (rtd) Russell Combe, 10 prison officials and two policemen are undergoing training to identify and handle vulnerable prisoners, particularly those who are mentally unstable.
The Handling of Vulnerable Prisoners Training Course, which is funded by the United Kingdom, is being facilitated by two persons, including Caroline Ravello, Director of Create Better Minds, a Non-Governmental Organisation located in Trinidad and Tobago.
In his remarks during the opening ceremony, which was held yesterday morning at the Guyana Police Force Training Centre, Director of Prisons (ag) Gladwin Samuels noted that in Guyana there is an increasing number of vulnerable persons who are being incarcerated for various reasons. Samuels disclosed that there are approximately 75 mentally-unstable prisoners within the prison system, all of whom receive regular medical treatment due to the prison service’s relationship with the Ministry of Public Health.
Prior to the July 9th, 2017 fire at the Camp Street Prison,