Three prison inmates from 2 prisons have died by suicide within the last week, Commissioner General of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya said.
According to the Daily Mirror, Upuldeniya said that a crackdown on narcotics within the premises had left the inmates unable to gain access to drugs.
The three inmates who are addicted to drugs and illicit liquor had died by suicide as a result of being unable to gain access to narcotics.
Two inmates, one a drug addict and the other addicted to illicit liquor, had died by suicide in the Colombo Remand prison.
The third inmate, who was addicted to heroin and illicit liquor and was suffering from liver disease, had died by suicide at the Negombo prison.
As a result of authorities arresting individuals and groups engaged in smuggling narcotics to prisons, inmates severely addicted to narcotics are in a terrible condition as they are unable to receive any narcotics.
Meanwhile, Prisons Commissioner and Spokesman Chandana Ekanayake said the only way to prevent inmates from committing suicide is to train them to live without consuming the drugs or illicit liquor.
The inmates cannot be admitted to rehabilitation centres as they are remandees and not convicted inmates, he further clarified. (Newswire)