Barbed wire fencing surrounding a penitentiary.
GEORGETOWN, Guyana--The prisoners released recently from incarceration had less than three months remaining on their sentence, and had met the criteria necessary for release, says the Guyana Prison Service (GPS). According to a reliable source, the majority of them had less than one month remaining on their sentence. It was reported recently that 65 prisoners were granted special remissions on their sentence, but according to the GPS, persons tried to misconstrue the conditions under which those inmates were released.
The prison service, in a press statement on Tuesday, said those attempts to cast aspersion on the act of “special remissions” were seen circulating on social media.
“The Guyana Prison Service wishes to clarify that the special remission was granted as required under the Prison Act Chapter 11:01, the Laws of Guyana, to deserving inmates based on the time served, good behaviour and rehabilitation,” the press statement outlined.
It was noted, too, that this special remission was delayed due to circumstances beyond the control of the prison service, and also arising out of the impact of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. The time remaining for the sentence served by these inmates was below three months for all cases considered. The offences for which the special remission was granted include five major crimes, nine serious crimes and 51 minor offences. “The prison directorate wishes to reiterate that the inmates were selected based on the time served in prison, and are considered not likely to be of a risk to society. We hope that this information clears up any doubts surrounding the releases,” the Prison Service said. ~ Guyana Chronicle ~
