President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has directed the establishment of a joint mechanism to address prison security, inmate welfare and emergency response across all prisons in the country.
The decision was taken at a special meeting chaired by the President at the Presidential Secretariat on Friday (7) to review the current situation in prisons and the measures in place to ensure the safety of inmates.
The proposed mechanism will review issues faced by inmates, oversee their welfare and coordinate responses during emergencies.
The mechanism will cover all 33 prisons and comprise officials from the Department of Prisons, the Sri Lanka Police, the Special Task Force (STF) and, where necessary, the armed forces. It is expected to be established next week.
Officials involved in the mechanism are also expected to hold discussions with inmates as part of the initiative.
The meeting was attended by Minister of Justice and National Integration Harshana Nanayakkara, Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala, senior officials from the Ministries of Defence and Justice, Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya, and senior officers from the Department of Prisons and intelligence services. (Newswire)