Religious spaces in prisons to accommodate Yukthiya pressure

By Norman Palihawadane

Unable to cope with numbers detained under the ongoing Yukthiya operation, the prisons authorities are looking at holding prisoners in places of worship within prisons – a move strongly resisted by both prisoners and prisoner welfare activists.

Prisons Commissioner Gamini B Dissanayake told The Sunday Island that the prison population had surged in the past few weeks and authorities have no option but to take over the temples, churches, and prayer rooms set up within prisons to accommodate the increasing number of prisoners coming in.

Those places of worship would be converted into detention spaces to accommodate those crowding the prisons, bursting at the seams even before Yukthiya began, Dissanayake said. He added that this measure would be in force until the government amends the laws enabling the imposition of house arrest for minor offenders.

Minister of State for Justice and Prison Affairs, Anuradha Jayaratne, recently stated that all those found guilty of some offences will be placed under house arrest in the future to reduce overcrowding in prisons.

Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) Chairman, Attorney-at-Law Senaka Perera said that this move of taking over places of worship within prisons would deprive prisoners of their religious rights.

“Prisoners too have religious rights guaranteed by the constitution. These prayer rooms, temples, and churches are maintained within prisons for the purpose of aiding rehabilitation. This latest move by authorities is not only against constitutional provisions but also against the motto of the prisons department, which stands for custody, care, and correction.

“Allowing prisoners to practice their religion is a right accepted by all civilized societies. The government should have considered logistical issues during the planning stages of their raids rather than finding themselves without space to accommodate alleged offenders taken into custody,” Perera said.

He added that CPRP has received complaints of prisoners being treated like herds of animals in prisons already, and the latest move would further add to the pressure.