House arrest system for prisoners soon

According to Chandana Ekanayake, the Commissioner of Prisons and Departmental Spokesman, the government needs more funds to build new prisons. As a result, they plan to introduce a house arrest system as an alternative. Additionally, construction of four buildings in Dalupotha, Negombo, is underway to accommodate remand prisoners.

 

 

During a hearing with the Committee on Public Accounts, it was revealed that the prison capacity has significantly exceeded its limits, with an occupancy rate of 259%. This rate has reached 300% to 400% in some prisons. The current prison facilities can only accommodate 11,762 inmates, but there are currently 26,791 inmates.

 

 

Out of the 17,502 individuals in remand, 10,470 are facing drug-related charges. The Department of Prisons reported that of the 9,289 inmates, 3,569 are convicted of drug offences. It was also emphasized that 1,309 prisoners are currently incarcerated due to their inability to pay fines.