GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – President Irfaan Ali, Monday, warned of a “pandemic of gangs” infiltrating secondary schools across Guyana, calling for immediate action to tackle the issue at its root.
“We have to take the bull by the horns. We have to get into our secondary schools. We have a pandemic of gangs in the secondary schools across the region now… we have to get into those schools, into those communities, into those homes,” Ali told the opening of the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) Annual Senior Corrections Officers Conference.
He told the conference that interventions must reach schools, communities, and homes, calling for a coordinated effort involving religious groups, civil society, and community leaders to identify at-risk areas and vulnerable youth.
As he highlighted the social factors contributing to crime, President Ali said that some children grow up in environments shaped by trauma, lack of positive role models, and the influence of gang leaders and drug lords.
“If crime is normalised, that is going to be a learned behaviour. If violence is normalised, that is going to be a learned behaviour,” he said, noting that the priority in building secure communities must be to support youth through targeted reorientation and early interventions.
“This is not just about punishment; it is about prevention. Our first order of business in creating a secure country and community must be to avoid persons going down the wrong path,” he said.
Meanwhile, the head of state sought to assure GPS members that his government is working to ensure officers retire with dignity and opportunities for continued participation in the economy.
He said efforts are being made to equip officers with the education and skills needed to transition into life after retirement.
“Beyond that is allowing you the luxury of comfort to know that there is life after retirement, and we’re preparing you for that life after retirement,” President Ali said, adding that the government has expanded access to higher education opportunities for prison officers so they can develop professionally while serving.
“And today, we can celebrate hundreds of your officers having a diploma, a degree, or a master’s, because the government has given you access to these options,” Ali said, noting that these initiatives form part of a broader effort to ensure officers can move confidently into another phase of their lives after leaving the service.
“With your experience, a degree, and a master’s, you will be journeying into another phase of your life with confidence and knowing that you will still be needed in the economy,” he said, highlighting also improvements in the welfare of prison officers with salaries increasing by 40 per cent over the last five years.
“Do not take that for granted. That is part of our programme of allowing you to retire in dignity, retiring in honour,” Ali told the conference.
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