DEPUTY Commissioner of Prisons Carlos Corraspe says the refurbishment of the remand yard at the Golden Grove prison in Arouca should be completed this month.

Corrapse revealed this at a National Security joint select committee meeting earlier in the week.

Committee member Ayanna Webster-Roy asked what is being done to address the issue of overcrowding of prison cells as she saw videos on Facebook of inmates complaining.

"It really looked bad," she said.

However, Corrapse said sometimes "people present, through the videos, what is not actual (or) factual to make their point.

"But we try as far as possible to have mattresses and hammocks and mats for those persons in the cells."

He admitted that overcrowding tends to be an issue at the remand yard, but added, "There is a project that is nearing completion – should be completed this month – the restoration or refurbishment of the remand prison at Golden Grove. That should improve the conditions significantly...Of course, that project puts the toilets into the cells as has been demanded and requested for some time."

In 2017 under then national security minister Edmund Dillon, Cabinet approved a $56.3 million upgrade for the remand yard.

Dillon had said the proposed scope of works included upgrades to the plumbing, sewer treatment and electrical system.

Vice-chairman of the community Paul Richards said he visited there and "saw eight and ten men in a cell with one mattress on the ground and a bucket for defecation. So the conditions are horrendous, let's not minimise the conditions. And I'm glad they're putting some facilities in the cell but it doesn't take away from the overcrowding..."

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