Joe Maddon Cubs Jersey Trade Unionist
| – renovation, clean upAt last the authorities are taking steps to rehabilitate the Brickdam Police Station lockups.The move comes in the wake of public criticisms and a barrage of media reports about the deplorable state of the facility.There were also condemnations of the lockup by a leading CARICOM official at this year’s Annual Conference of the Association of Caribbean Commissioner’s of Police, which was held here in Guyana a few months ago.Kaieteur News understands that all the prisoners who were being held at the facility were removed to other locations over the weekend and works have already commenced to clean the lock-ups to prepare for renovation works.Police officials said that most of the prisoners have been moved to the Golden Grove Police Station. The rest are being kept at the Providence and Grove Police Stations.Contacted yesterday, Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee told this newspaper that the project is being undertaken by the Government of Guyana.But from all appearances, the criticisms have struck the right chord and the authorities are now rectifying the situation.“We have been talking about it. You guys have been bugging me about it,” Rohee told this newspaper.“It was in the works all the time and I hope that it is completed before year-end,” added Rohee, who had recently stated that a prison “is not a five-star hotel.”Only recently, Trade Unionist, Lincoln Lewis who was detained there along with colleague, Norris Witter and activist, Mark Benschop, had indicated that he would have been seeking the intervention of the United Nations and other human rights bodies.Speaking with the media outside the Brickdam Police Station, on July 16, Lewis said that he is contemplating the possibility of building a case to address the issue of human rights at the Organisation of American States (OAS) level.He said that he will be exploring this avenue with his lawyer because of the deplorable state of the Brickdam lockups.Recalling the condition inside the lockups, where they were detained for one night, Lewis said that there are persons of unsound mind, illegal immigrants and sick people there.He said that the lockups have no beds, no toilet facility, and no ablution area. What is inhumane is that persons are being fed in a plastic bucket, he said.“This is the same bucket that they wash in, use to bathe; the tea comes in it with some hard bread and the food comes in the bucket. Men got to take cardboard (to dish out) their food and eat with card board. That is the condition of the lockups that this country can boast about,” Lewis said. |
