The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) is collaborating with the Guyana Prison Service to have prison inmates produce cement blocks as part of its community-based project with the aim of contributing to the prisoners rehabilitation and livelihood after incarceration.
The CH&PA announced in a release yesterday, that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Guyana Prison Service for the production by inmates of 500,000 concrete blocks under CH&PA’s Community-based Employment Stimulation Project (CESP).
The release explained that this initiative aims to rehabilitate prisoners by providing them with employment opportunities, income to support their dependents and post-incarceration skills, while also pushing the national housing drive.
The blocks will be used initially for construction at Silica City and production is expected to begin at the Lusignan Prison and will later expand to other prisons. CH&PA’s Projects Dept. will assist with quality control.
According to the release, the MoU was inked by CH&PA Chief Executive Officer, Sherwyn Greaves, and Director of Prisons, Nicklon Elliot in the presence of the Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal; Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues; Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn; Deputy Director of Prisons, Kevin Pilgrim; and Deputy Director of CH&PA’s Community Development Department, Donell Bess-Bascom.
Meanwhile, ministers Croal and Rodrigues emphasised the housing drive’s flexibility to address housing needs, while also supporting vulnerable groups and positively impacting lives. They also expressed the Ministry’s openness to other such collaborations.
