Recent Case: Kevin Stephens
Based on information received, former inmate Kevin Stephens passed away between 3:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. on November 3, 2023, at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). Doctors reportedly informed his family that there was nothing more they could do and that they were simply awaiting his passing. His body was subsequently handed over to his relatives for burial today in his hometown. The funeral is already being broadcast live on Facebook by Ray Ray Lilly, allowing the public and grieving family to pay their respects.
The Bartica United Youth Development Group (BUYDG) is deeply alarmed by his death, which underscores the ongoing and preventable pattern of inmate deaths in state custody. This tragic case reinforces the urgent need for humanitarian consideration, proactive medical monitoring, and timely intervention for prisoners suffering from life-threatening medical conditions.
Kevin Stephens, a former inmate and prison cook attached to the Guyana Prison Service, was sentenced in 2019 to twelve (12) years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the shooting death of his co-worker, Herbert Verwayne.
While serving his sentence, Stephens fell seriously ill while in custody. His cancer diagnosis was confirmed only after his family, at their own expense, arranged for private hospital testing. Despite his rapidly worsening condition, timely medical intervention and humanitarian release consideration were not granted.
It has been reported that Stephens had nearly completed his sentence, with approximately one to two months remaining. Under the former government, the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) at times granted early release on parole to inmates with good behavior who had three months or less remaining on their sentence. Both the Parole Board and the Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy (ACPM) were in place and functioning well. However, under the current government and the Minister of Home Affairs, there is no active ministerial or presidential medical or humanitarian release system,whether via pardon, respite, or parole license advised by the ACPM.
Although Stephens did not live to complete his term, his rehabilitation record, good behavior, and service in prison labour programs reflected genuine reform and readiness for reintegration into society. His death leaves behind two minor children and grieving relatives, placing him among those inmates whose situations warranted lawful humanitarian consideration under both the Prison Act and the Prerogative of Mercy.
Case of Micah Williams
BUYDG has credible reports that Micah Williams, age 42, a current inmate, suffers from a life-threatening sickness that has severely relapsed during incarceration. Despite efforts by the Prison Authority and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), his condition continues to deteriorate in the prison environment, where he feels unwell most days without relief.
Medical information contained in his prison and hospital records is unequivocally clear that if he does not receive urgent treatment, he will die. The medication he is currently prescribed causes serious side effects and cannot correct his condition. Even with treatment, he would need a conducive and stable environment to prevent another relapse or death. Hence, his release is vitally necessary and proactive.
It has been further reported that while aggravating factors were considered during his sentencing, leading to him receiving one of the harshest penalties for his conviction of sexual activity with a child under 16, his mitigating factors were never equally considered. No medical evaluation or pretrial report was ever ordered or conducted,
meaning the balance between aggravating and mitigating factors was completely unbalanced, rendering his trial neither fair nor impartial, as required under Article 144 of the Guyana Constitution and under the international laws to which Guyana is obligated. His serious health condition was disclosed during his testimony prior to sentencing, and he collapsed at his first court appearance, yet the court failed to assess these mitigating circumstances. This failure not only affected his right to a fair hearing, but also to an impartial hearing, as no valid pre-sentencing assessment or medical evaluation guided the court’s decision.
While his charge is serious, there are inmates with severe health conditions similar to Micah’s, and even those convicted of more serious offences such as manslaughter and murder, who have received much lighter sentences, some as low as five, six, or ten years. For example, Kevin Stephens, who was convicted of manslaughter, was sentenced to twelve years’ imprisonment. How then, with all these and other issues not even mentioned here, could Micah’s case have benefited from a fair and impartial hearing?
It must also be noted that during all of his court proceedings, his medical condition was never judicially addressed or remedied. This omission has left his life at grave risk while under State custody.
BUYDG therefore makes this call not to interfere with any governmental, judicial, or ongoing process before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), as his case has been active before the Commission since 2023 for precautionary measures, but rather to appeal to the humanity and moral conscience of all authorities. The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and the Government of Guyana have both been made aware of his critical medical condition since that time, yet to date, no decision has been made by any party to address his situation.
This prolonged inaction leaves him at imminent risk of becoming another Steven,dying slowly in prison under the State’s care, as happened in Steven’s case, instead of being given a chance at life and reintegration with his loved ones, who continue to grieve and
write countless letters seeking his release or judicial remedy, yet still receive no response.
The prison environment has become an execution ground for him, as he serves two concurrent life sentences with 20 years before eligibility for parole, a sentence that never took his medical reality into account. This has rendered his punishment inhumane and effectively transformed it into a death sentence due to his life-threatening sickness.
We therefore appeal to you, not to wait until his body is handed over to his loved ones for burial, like in the case of Steven, but to take a humanitarian step now,to act to prevent Micah from becoming another Steven by providing urgent treatment, sustainable survival, and a chance at life, not death under State care.
BUYDG hereby calls on the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the Government of Guyana, and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to expeditiously act on Micah Williams’ case before it is too late, as all parties are already aware of his dire condition. This press document is therefore copied to all three institutions as a formal reminder of the urgency and the moral and legal responsibility to save his life and uphold his basic human rights including dignity.
Legal framework for humanitarian release
While the Prison Act (Cap. 11:01) and other legislation may not explicitly use the term “release,” BUYDG firmly believes that when Sections 54 and 55 of the Prison Act are read together with Article 141 (protection of the right to life) and related constitutional provisions, they provide a lawful foundation for the medical or humanitarian release of inmates whose conditions have become life-threatening.
In circumstances where an inmate may not yet meet the parole eligibility threshold, the Minister has the authority to prepare and forward recommendations and documentation to the President, who may then act under Article 188 of the Constitution (Prerogative of Mercy) to grant compassionate or medical release.
BUYDG further calls for the establishment or reactivation of the Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy, as outlined in Articles 189 and 190, to ensure all such decisions are lawful, transparent, and based on medical and humanitarian grounds.
This request is not a demand, but a respectful appeal, consistent with the Government’s recent announcements by the Honorable Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs regarding the draft Prison Bill, which seeks to replace the outdated 1957 Prison Act with modern legislation emphasizing rehabilitation, reintegration, and humane treatment of inmates.
Urgent call to the new Minister
BUYDG respectfully urges the Honourable Minister to take immediate and compassionate action to safeguard the lives of inmates facing critical medical
conditions, consistent with the Government’s stated commitments to human rights, prison reform, and humane treatment of persons in custody:
- Apply Sections 54 and 55 of the Prison Act to ensure inmates with verified life-threatening conditions are promptly assessed for medical release. 2. Utilize Article 188 of the Constitution to refer humanitarian cases to His Excellency the President for consideration under the Prerogative of Mercy. 3. Establish or reactivate the Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy, ensuring transparent and consistent review of all applications for medical or humanitarian relief.
- Improve medical services across all prisons, including timely access to specialist referrals, prescribed medications, and appropriate diets for inmates with chronic or life-threatening illnesses.
- Confidential Engagement for Inmates:
Ensure mechanisms are in place for inmates who may be afraid to speak to the Minister or other authorities in the presence of prison staff. These mechanisms should allow inmates to confidentially report medical conditions or concerns about prison conditions without fear of retaliation or victimization, ensuring their safety and enabling their voices to be heard.
Other documented cases of preventable deaths
Additional preventable deaths of inmates in state custody include:
- Rudolph Madray (58) – heart patient, Lusignan Prison, February 2025 ● Niron Yacoob – severe breathing difficulties, Mazaruni Prison, June 2024 ● Lindon Lamiazon – diabetes and kidney failure, Lusignan Prison, July 2024 ● Ganga Persaud – Camp Street Prison, late 2023
- Dennis Williams & Paul Chan – Lusignan Prison, 2024
These cases collectively underscore the urgent need for a lawful, transparent, and humanitarian system of review, consistent with Articles 54, 55, and 141 of the Constitution of Guyana and relevant sections of the Prison Act.
International humanitarian standards
The IACHR, UNHRC, and UN Human Rights Commissioner consistently emphasize that states must take all reasonable measures to protect the lives of inmates, especially those with severe or terminal medical conditions, and ensure detention does not amount to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
Humanitarian or medical release is recognized internationally as a lawful, compassionate, and rights-based intervention, particularly when prison conditions or medical services are insufficient to preserve life.
Guyana’s commitments under the Fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR), publicly presented to the United Nations, underscore the Government’s pledge to improve prison conditions, uphold human rights, and ensure the humane treatment of all persons in state custody. Implementing these commitments in the context of inmates with life-threatening conditions is a direct measure to walk the talk on human rights and rehabilitation.
The Bartica United Youth Development Group (BUYDG) stands ready to cooperate with the Ministry and all relevant authorities to strengthen medical review systems and promote lawful humanitarian measures for inmates in life-threatening conditions.
BUYDG’s reiterated appeal
BUYDG respectfully reiterates its urgent appeal to the Government of Guyana and the newly appointed Minister responsible for prison services to:
- Take immediate, lawful, and compassionate action to prevent further deaths in custody.
- Ensure that all medically vulnerable inmates who may be deemed unfit for prison or unlikely to survive their sentence are promptly assessed for humanitarian or medical release.
- Uphold the Government’s UN commitments and constitutional obligations, including Articles 54, 55, 141, 188, 189, and 190 of the Constitution of Guyana.
BUYDG remains committed to constructive engagement with the Government, civil society, and international human rights mechanisms to safeguard the right to life and dignity of all inmates, and to foster a correctional system that prioritizes:
- Rehabilitation and mercy
- Second chances and restorative justice
- Humane treatment and legal compliance
