News
Countrywide drug bust has worsened jail congestion: Prisons Chief
Number of inmates exceed capacity by 290 percent
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Sri Lankan prisons has exceeded their capacity by 290 percent, Commissioner General of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya says.Commenting on a report on prison overcrowding by the National Audit Office, which states that there are 232 percent more inmates in prisons by the end of 2022, Upuldeniya said prison congestion had taken a turn for the worse.
“The prison population has been increasing rapidly in the past few years. If you look at some urban prisons, they exceed capacity by well over 300 percent. Technically, we can hold about 11,700 prisoners. There are 32,735 by 23 January 2024,” he said.
The National Audit Office shows that the prison population had dropped by 2019, but there had been a spike by 2022. Upuldeniya said the numbers dropped in 2019 and 2020 because they fast-tracked the bail process due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“With the end of COVID, things have gone back to chaotic normal. We have been grappling with prison overcrowding for a long time.”
Upuldeniya said the economic crisis and social issues that are linked with the crisis are directly linked with the spike in population.
“Drug abuse is one of the main reasons why the prison population has increased. Out of the 32,735 inmates, 17,071 are there because of drugs.”
Drug addicts end up in prison because of their methods, he said. The courts sent one group of people to prison, and the others are those in remand custody. Prison officials are not able to systematically rehabilitate those who are in remand custody.
“The overwhelming majority of drug addicts in prisons are those in remand custody. Only about 4,500 addicts have been sent to prison by courts after the completion of legal proceedings. We are rehabilitating them.”
Upuldeniya said, according to the audit report, the prison system needs 187 more toilets. However, the department has received about 300 million rupees from this year’s Budget to develop sanitation facilities.
“About 39 percent of the inmates are repeat offenders. However, there is a lot of variance. It’s usually those addicted to drugs who are incarcerated again and again. The real question is whether the prison system is the best place to rehabilitate drug addicts? Recovering from addiction is not simple. We can keep an addict away from drugs for a few months, but when they go home, they go to an environment where accessing drugs is easy. A lot of addicts want to relocate to a new place.”
Upuldeniya said sometimes entire families are addicted to drugs.
He noted that the problem has been exacerbated with more people coming into prisons because of the Yukthiya operation.
“In 2022, Sri Lanka spent 8.3 billion rupees to maintain the prison system. The total estimated expenditure for 2024 is about 14 billion rupees. Out of this, six billion rupees will be spent on food. In 2023, we spent about 483 rupees per day per inmate for rations alone. If we add electricity, water, etc., we spend about 900 rupees to maintain a prisoner a day.”
Upuldeniya said they are now looking at planting crops on the land they own. They are also opening facilities like bakeries.
He added that about three percent of inmates have no formal education. About 92 percent of inmates have studied up to O/Ls.
“There are currently 73 inmates involved in the drug trade who have received the death penalty. 347 have received life sentences. They are not eligible for any pardons.”
Upuldeniya said about 150 prisoners escape each year, and most escape from open-air camps. There are also about 1,600 vacancies in prisons.
“The total approved cadre is around 7,300 officers. We have a big shortage of wardens. The approved cadre is 4,444, but there are over 700 vacancies. We have received approval to recruit 300 this year. We are also trying to recruit about 500 wardens from among soldiers who might have to leave the Army due to downsizing,” he said.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
