Guyana turns to retired military to quell prison unrest

GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Authorities in Guyana say they urgently need to hire retired military and paramilitary officers to help restore order to the South American country’s troubled prison system.

Prison Director Gladwin Samuels said Wednesday that the current wardens are overworked and need backup.

The call for help comes less than two weeks after 13 inmates escaped from a recently fortified prison. Six other inmates with smuggled handguns shot their way out of a maximum security prison that was set on fire in July, killing a guard and injuring several others.

Seventeen inmates died last year when they were trapped in their cells by a fire they started to protest overcrowding, poor diet and lengthy trial delays.