President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has instructed the authorities to take immediate steps to address the shortcomings of the humanitarian focus on prisoners and provide them with the necessary facilities.
The President has instructed the authorities at a special discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (10) morning to investigate the shortcomings and problems in the prisons and recommend solutions.
President Rajapaksa has emphasized the need to focus on rehabilitation programs as more than 12,000 people are incarcerated due to drug addiction.
The President also instructed to look into the possibility of constructing pre-arranged prisons in the identified locations to alleviate the congestion inside the prisons.
President Rajapaksa has emphasized the need to study the models of foreign prisons and take immediate steps to facilitate them.
A large number of people are in remand custody due to delays in the Analyst, Attorney General and Police Departments. The President has pointed out that the relevant institutions including the Customs, Police, Prisons and Rehabilitation should establish a Presidential Task Force and take steps to resolve the existing problems.
Minister of Justice M.U.M. Ali Sabri, State Minister of Prison Rehabilitation Lohan Ratwatte, Secretary to the President P.B Jayasundera, Secretaries to Ministries and Chiefs of Defense Staff were also present at the discussion