$60 Million Brickdam Lock-Up Built To Treat Prisoners’ ‘Humanely.’

According to a press release from the Department of Public Information (DPI), a new lock-up was built to hold 52 prisoners at the Guyana Police Force (GPF) ‘A’ Division headquarters, Brickdam, on October 14, 2020. 

The Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn, justified the development of this new facility as a means to treat prisoners more humanely. 

“We should not continue to have situations where we offer these people a brutalizing experience for prisoners,” said the Minister.

Benn hopes that the facility will function with the treatment of prisoners in mind, and reach more humane international standards. He reiterated this as only the beginning of a new chapter in how the police intend to interact with the public.

“Where we have to house people in the police stations, it should be respectful, it should be professional, and it should be of a standard that is acceptable not only here in Guyana, but internationally,” said Benn. 

According to the Commissioner of Police (Ag) Nigel Hoppie, the facility will house persons involved with ongoing investigations. 

“The Force has an implicit responsibility to treat every suspect as innocent until proven guilty, which means that the procedures employed and holding facility used must comply with the required standards,” said the Commissioner.