The new holding facilities under construction are expected to resolve all of the existing security concerns at the Lusignan Prison, which has recorded a high number of escapes in recent years.
“[They] will be more secure and the question of the perimeter issues, the towers, the fencing and all those matters will be resolved,” Benn told reporters at the sidelines of an event last Saturday.
He was at the time responding to questions asked by this newspaper as it relates to security at the Lusignan Prison.
Three modern facilities are currently being constructed at the prison under a $1.2 billion project that is expected to be completed by February, 2022.
There have been numerous episodes, including in recent months, where inmates have either escaped or attempted to escape from the prison.
Last Thursday, double murder accused Kapildeo Gangadin escaped from the quarantine section of the prison.
Gangadin was recaptured on Fri-day morning at a police road block in the vicinity of Onderneeming, West Bank Demerara (WBD). At the time, he was the passenger of a route 32 minibus.
During questioning, Gangadin shared his escape plot with the police. He said he had planned to flee to neighbouring Suriname.
According to Benn, Gangadin’s escape was recorded by surveillance cameras.
“The question is not getting out of the immediate area….the question is a question of the surveillance from the towers, surveillance of the cameras at the prison itself because they are monitoring cameras there too and even questions at the center in Georgetown where there are also monitoring cameras for all of the prisons’ perimeters,” Benn explained.
Benn said the rank/s tasked with monitoring the cameras at the time will be dealt with accordingly.
“…There is always the question of the human element in everything that we do and as you go along in a large organisation, sometimes you have incidents which we have to deal with, which we have to learn from and which we have to take the appropriate measures to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” Benn further related.
