NCJ Number
77912
Date Published
1980
Length
9 pages
Annotation
The use of imprisonment in Guyana, prison administration, inmate programs, program evaluation, and a research design for the study of Guyana's prison population are discussed.
Abstract
Of the 14,790 persons convicted for all types of offenses in 1975, 89.6 percent were fined and 6.7 percent were imprisoned. The other 3.7 percent were either placed on probation or bonded; however, although an offender might have been initially fined, subsequent nonpayment of the fine may have resulted in imprisonment. This would not be unusual, since 30 percent of the population is unemployed. There are four prisons in Guyana, with one being limited to young offenders. Academic programs for inmates cover such subjects as English, math, West Indian history, spelling, and social studies. Vocational training is for carpentry and joinery, masonry, plumbing, steel fabricating, tailoring, printing and bookbinding, welding, motor and agricultural mechanics, and electrical engineering. In keeping with the country's dominant agricultural orientation, the majority of inmates participate in an elaborate agricultural program. Physical education activities, which are a daily part of the prison program, are geared to counteract the mental and physical deterioration that often attend imprisonment. Drama is the primary thrust in prison cultural programs. Prison program evaluation is limited, so that little is known about how inmates are affected by prison programs both while in prison and after release. The research proposal presented involves a plan for determining inmates' social and personal problems, along with offense histories, in order to construct a data base that can aid program development. Sixteen notes and limited tabular data are provided.