Georgetown: The pre-fabricated steel cells that will be erected at the Camp Street Prison are already at the site, Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, who is currently performing the functions of Prime Minister said.
The portable cells Minister Ramjattan noted are “parked at Camp Street and we have to begin packing and stacking them in such a way that we are going to accommodate 180 prisoners in those pre-fabricated cells of three blocks.”
The two fires in 2016 and 2017 respectively at the Camp Street Prison, placed a strain on the other penitentiaries. The new cells will address the current overcrowding at prisons across the country, more specifically at Lusignan Prison that currently houses over 500 prisoners. This, Minister Ramjattan acknowledged, is not in keeping with international best practices. However, he noted that the government is doing everything it can to address the issue.
In addition to the steel cells at the Camp Street Prison, the Mazaruni Prison is being expanded to house an additional 400 prisoners. During a recent visit to the construction site, it was disclosed by the project manager, Iain Peebles, of the Trinidadian firm Kee-Chanona, that phase one of is about 40 per cent completed and will be finished by the end of October of this year. Phase two of the project has already commenced with foundation works currently ongoing.
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