Prison service to begin interviewing joint services retirees this week

the various prison locations, including the holding facility at Lusignan where some of the displaced Camp Street prisoners are being housed.

Samuels had previously told this newspaper that hiring retirees would result in less time being spent on training and would boost the human resources of the prison service.

He has said though that close attention will be paid to the ability of applicants to perform efficiently and effectively.

“…While we do not intend to discriminate against anybody, physical structure and health will be taken into consideration…I will not be prepared to employ persons who have to go to clinic every other day…so you gotta be able to deal with the rigors of the job, health and otherwise. You must be able to stand up to [your duties],” he had told Stabroek News in a recent interview while adding that though the GPS is in need of staff, it is not “going to compromise quality for quantity.”

He had said that while the standard retirement age in the public service except for the army is 55 years, the GPS is willing to hire persons up to age 60, but this will all depend on their physical condition.

Samuels had made it clear that a retiree should not expect that once he/she applies he/she would be automatically hired and had stressed that while work ethic and discipline will be taken into consideration, there are other factors to be considered.