Fire set by Lusignan Prison Inmates rips through facility; no deaths reported

The smoke towering over the fence and buildings of the Lusignan Prisons

It was a coordinated approach between fire, prison, and police officers earlier today as they work to keep the situation under control at the Lusignan Prisons were a fire broke out following a riot by prisoners. The prison is located along the Golf Road, Lusignan, East Coast Demerara.

Prison and Police officers race to take up tactical positions

The work of the firefighters was aided by spells of showers which came shortly after the fire started even as smoke from the burning structures inside the prison compound towered over the concrete fence and could be seen from several villages away including Victoria to the East and Lodge to the West of Lusignan.

An elevated view of a section of the burning facility

Among those on the ground presently taking control of the situation this afternoon were Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels himself, Assistant Director of Prisons Pilgrim, Deputy Commissioner Graham, the doctor in- charge of the Lusignan prison medical operations, and several on and off duty police and prisons officers who showed up to ensure all hands were on deck.

Prison employees relocating documents and files from the burning facility

As the fire blazed and some prisoners were allowed to exit the prison facility under supervision, police and prison officers took up tactical positions around the perimeters of the prison in layers even as other prisoners still inside the facility were heard screaming and shouting in agony as the fire spread from one location to the other parts of the facility.

In 2017 eighteen prisoners were killed in a fire that gutted the Camp Street Jail following riots over food and other welfare issues which saw prisoners setting fire to that facility. The consequence of that fire triggered the suspension of the Director of Prison, A Commission of Inquiry which later took evidence and testimonies which among other things cleared the Director of Prisons from any wrongdoing, the production of a number of recommendations, transferring of prisoners to other prisons, the establishment of the Lusignan Holding Bay and reduce sentencing and the releasing of prisoners for minor offenses to reduce the total prison population.

Deputy Commissioner Operations Graham arrives at the Lusignan Prisons

Once at the Lusignan Holding Bay, several prisoners escaped from the facility forcing the police force to launch a manhunt to ensure their recapture, several of them were recaptured, others killed by the police and some turned themselves in.

In a statement issued by the Guyana Police Force this afternoon, it was noted that after a number of narcotics were found at the prisons,  a search was activated at the location which saw the prisoners rioting. as a consequence, the relevant joint services protocol was activated resulting in the ranks bringing the situation under control while relocating a number of prisoners to a nearby facility.

Several inmates who sustained injuries as a result of the development are receiving medical attention, the police report added.