Commissioner General of Prisons, Tushara Upuldeniya, has raised alarms over the severe overcrowding in Sri Lankan prisons, revealing that the current inmate population is approximately double the designed capacity. As of July 15, 2024, Sri Lankan prisons house 30,607 inmates, the majority of them drug offenders.
This critical situation has led to significant challenges, including inadequate space, facilities, sanitation, and a severe shortage of prison officers, Upuldeniya noted. Currently, 7,872 officers are serving across 31 prisons in the country.
To address the staffing shortfall, approval has been granted to recruit an additional 900 prison officers in the near future.
The Commissioner General made these remarks during a media briefing held in observance of Prison Day on July 16.
