Your Excellencies, Esteemed Ministers, and Mr. Director,
We write once more, on behalf of many forgotten voices behind prison walls and the loved ones they support outside to urgently renew our call for the inclusion of all incarcerated Guyanese citizens aged 18 and above in the GY$100,000 national cash grant initiative.
This is not a request born of sentiment; it is a demand grounded in constitutional law, justice, and human dignity. We call upon our nation’s leaders to confront their conscience and affirm the principles of equity, nationhood, and social reintegration upon which our Republic is built.
Legal and Constitutional Foundations
Let us recall that Article 149D of the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana clearly affirms that “no person shall be treated in a discriminatory manner by any person acting by virtue of any written law or in the performance of the functions of any public office or any public authority.”
Additionally, Article 139 enshrines the presumption of innocence a cornerstone of our legal system offering protection to all persons not yet convicted. Therefore, any blanket exclusion of pretrial detainees and appellants from this grant is not only unjust but unconstitutional.
If the President and Vice President announced this initiative as a grant for “all citizens of Guyana 18 years and older,” then the Government has already set the eligibility standard. To exclude citizens in custody including those who already and those not convicted is to unlawfully and arbitrarily reinterpret their citizenship status without due process or constitutional basis.
This implies that these individuals are no longer Guyanese in the eyes of their Government a dangerous and divisive notion. Whether convicted, on remand, or awaiting appeal, these individuals remain citizens of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. To deny a citizen access to benefits meant for citizens without legal justification is tantamount to silently stripping them of their citizenship.
They have not renounced Guyana. They have not pledged allegiance to another state. Their status as Guyanese has not been legally revoked. Yet, they are treated as if they no longer exist in the eyes of society.
This is how the Government of Guyana has chosen to treat its own citizens many of whom are actively undergoing or have already completed rehabilitation programs aimed at preparing them for reintegration. These programs funded by taxpayers are rendered contradictory and hollow if the same Government denies their beneficiaries access to national support schemes on the basis of incarceration.
Voices Beyond the Walls: Families and the Financially Vulnerable
We also emphasize that many inmates are the sole or primary financial providers for their families. Their incarceration has only amplified the vulnerability of their loved ones children, elderly parents, and other dependents many of whom now struggle daily.
These families, already enduring emotional hardship, now face economic suffering. They too are crying out for justice and support. Their call is simple: include their incarcerated loved ones citizens of Guyana, 18 years and older in this vital grant.
We invite our leaders to challenge us: Prove us wrong when we say that the legal status of Guyanese inmates remains intact, whether they are convicted, pretrial detainees, or appellants. If you cannot, then we appeal to you as law-abiding leaders and citizens to do the right and lawful thing: urgently pay the cash grant to every eligible inmate.
International Legal Obligations and Moral Standing
As a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the Organization of American States (OAS), Guyana is bound by multiple international instruments: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the American Convention on Human Rights, and the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules).
Each affirms the rights to non-discrimination, equal treatment under the law, and humane conditions for the incarcerated. Denying inmates access to a national benefit based solely on incarceration is not only unconstitutional but also in breach of our solemn international commitments.
Rehabilitation and Reintegration: From Policy to Practice
The Government has publicly committed itself to rehabilitation and reintegration. But these must not be hollow promises.
Inmates who have completed or are currently undergoing rehabilitation have demonstrated willingness to change. Their reintegration must be met with dignity, not exclusion. Access to this
grant is more than financial it is a signal that Guyana still recognizes them as citizens, as humans, and as contributors to society.
We are aware of inmates who plan to use this grant to support their children, elderly parents, and other vulnerable family members. Denying them is denying these families a ripple effect that undermines the very concept of national unity and social upliftment.
The Human Cost of Silence
Despite multiple submissions and public appeals, the Government has not issued a formal response. Are we to understand that the cries of the imprisoned and the families they once supported fall beneath the notice of our leaders?
We appeal to the better angels of your leadership. True greatness is not found in speeches or statistics it is found in moments when those in power choose compassion over convenience, and justice over expediency.
Government Messaging vs. Government Action
It is important to highlight that the Guyana Prison Service itself, through its monthly prison television program “Prison in Focus”, has consistently called on members of society and citizens of Guyana to accept inmates upon their release as changed individuals who have undergone rehabilitation. This appeal to the public is based on the premise that inmates can be reintegrated and deserve a second chance.
However, we must ask: How can you in authority expect society to accept rehabilitated inmates, when the Government itself does not lead by example through fair and equal treatmentespecially regarding access to the national cash grant?
The exclusion of incarcerated citizens from this grant runs contrary to the message of rehabilitation. It creates a conflicting narrative. When you deny these individuals access to a benefit that acknowledges their citizenship and humanity, you undermine the very call for societal acceptance that your institutions are making.
If the Government pays the cash grant to eligible inmates, it will send a powerful, unified message to all of society one that reinforces rehabilitation, fairness, and the belief that change is possible. This would not only strengthen public trust in reintegration initiatives but also show that justice is not selective, and that the Government stands firmly behind its own words and policies.
Conclusion: Reaffirming Citizenship, Reclaiming Justice
We reaffirm, with renewed urgency, that no Guyanese citizen should be left behind least of all by a Government that proclaims to serve all.
We do not ask for special treatment. We ask for recognition. We ask for what is fair. What is just. What is legal?
The grant was announced as a benefit for all Guyanese citizens aged 18 and older. No court has revoked the citizenship of the incarcerated. No law declares them non-persons. Therefore, we demand that the Government respect their status as citizens and uphold the laws that protect them as such.
History will judge us by how we treat the most vulnerable among us. Let us ensure that memory is one of courage, justice, and unity not of silence and exclusion.
We thank you for your time and await your just and compassionate response. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Best Regards
Kellion Leps
General President(ag)
Bartica United Youth Development Group
