Only 1,506 of the 4,962 inmates convicted by courts for drug-related offences are currently receiving rehabilitation programmes, the Department of Prisons has informed a Parliamentary committee.

The figures were revealed during a meeting of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection, chaired by MP Najith Indika.

Prisons officials said rehabilitation is provided to inmates referred through court orders as well as those who voluntarily seek rehabilitation.

However, officials said the existing system does not have the capacity to provide rehabilitation opportunities to all inmates serving sentences for various offences.

The committee discussed strengthening rehabilitation programmes for people addicted to drugs as part of efforts to address overcrowding in Sri Lanka’s prisons.

Officials from the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board said steps are being taken to expand rehabilitation programmes, recruit additional personnel and strengthen programmes at Divisional Secretariat level across the country.

The committee also discussed difficulties faced by rehabilitated individuals in gaining social acceptance and obtaining certificates of good character.

The need for amendments to relevant laws and regulations to make the rehabilitation process more effective was also highlighted during the discussion.

Officials from the Department of Prisons, Department of Community Based Corrections, Bureau of Rehabilitation and National Dangerous Drugs Control Board participated in the meeting. (Newswire)

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The Department of Prisons says court proceedings for inmates transferred from the Negombo Prison to other facilities will be conducted online through Zoom, as required by the courts.

Prison Media Spokesman and Commissioner A. C. Gajanayake said requests have been made to the relevant courts to arrange hearings online, and the department expects to act according to the orders received.

The move comes in the wake of the recent clash at Negombo Prison, where fighting between two groups of inmates left 29 people dead, including prison officers, and injured over 100 others.

Following the violence, a number of inmates were transferred to other prisons, creating logistical challenges in producing them before courts for their cases.

Officials said around 600 inmates still remain at Negombo Prison, and they too are scheduled to be relocated to other facilities soon. (Newswire)

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