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Guyana to invest $11M to expand prison, ease overcrowding

GEORGETOWN, Guyana – The South American country of Guyana says it will expand a jungle prison to house violent convicts and ease overcrowding at a city prison where 17 inmates died in riots earlier this year.

President David Granger’s office said Tuesday that Guyana will spend $11 million to build a new prison block in the country’s west next year.

Officials say that will let them house no more than 500 inmates at the main prison in the capital of Georgetown. The deadly riots occurred in March after inmates set mattresses ablaze to protest prison conditions, trial delays and food issues. The prison held more than 1,100 inmates at the time — double its capacity.

Authorities have since set up night courts to speed up hearings and reduced bail for certain offences.

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