A total sum of $6 billion has been budgeted in the 2026 budget to continue the transformation of Guyana’s prison system, including advanced training for 400 officers in prison management and human rights, according to Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh.
Dr Singh highlighted that in 2025, the Lusignan prison headquarters and several facilities, including a female prison, a new cell block, and a fire suppression system, were completed. Additional upgrades were made at Mazaruni and New Amsterdam prisons, with a total of $2.1 billion spent last year.
In 2026, $1.5 billion is allocated for further infrastructural upgrades, while $141.8 million will fund the training of 400 officers and 1,500 inmates in vocational and behavioural programmes, aimed at rehabilitation and successful reintegration into society.
According to Dr Singh, to date, over 1,300 inmates have been trained in the areas of block making, carpentry, stress management, among others, while a total of 361 officers were trained in prison management practices.
He said the initiatives reflect the government’s ongoing commitment to modernising correctional facilities, strengthening security and promoting humane treatment and rehabilitation within the prison system.