PRISONS OVERCROWDED: COMMISSIONER

Some 24,000 prisoners were being housed in prisons across the island while ideally only about 8000 prisoners could be accommodated in these prisons, creating a huge congestion, the Prisons Department said yesterday.

Prisons Commissioner Chandraratne Pallegama said that there were about 328 condemned prisoners while 448 prisoners who were serving life sentences were also incarcerated in these prisons. “We can facilitate only 7000 to 8000 prisoners in our prisons

There were about 328 condemned prisoners while 448 prisoners who were serving life sentences were also incarcerated in these prisons

but there are about 24000 inmates in them including 11 000 prisoners along with 13 000 suspects. About six condemned prisoners are being forced to share a single cell. There is heavy congestion in our prisons. The only solution to this congestion is to build new prisons as these prisoners would not be freed anytime soon. However we are making every effort to ensure their wellbeing while they serve their sentences,” Mr. Pallegama said.The Commissioner said that a new prison was to be built in Tangalle for which the foundation stone would be laid by March this year. “It will house about 1500 prisoners” he stated.

When asked about the recent protest launched by a group of prisoners of the Bogambara Prison who were demanding that the authorities either set them free or give them the death sentence, Mr. Pallegama said that the Prisons Department was unable to do anything to help them as they did not have the power to grant such a request and that it was only the President who could intervene and give them some relief in this regard.