All Female Inmates Transferred As Negombo Prison Set For Renovations

COLOMBO (News 1st); All female inmates at the Negombo Prison have been transferred to other prisons.Prisons Department Media Spokesman A.C. Gajanayake said that nearly 700 male inmates still remain at the prison. He added that those inmates will also be transferred to other prisons, making the Negombo Prison a inmate-freee zone.The Prisons Department Media Spokesman further stated that the prison, which was damaged by inmates, will then undergo renovations.The Negombo Prison was housing 2,400 inmates.The recent clash between drug traffickers and organized criminals at the Negombo Prison claimed the lives of 8 prison officers and 21 inmates, while nearly 100 others were injured.Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice stated that the Negombo Prison premises suffered severe damage during the clash, and the prison administration has decided that the facility is currently unsuitable for accommodating inmates.The Ministry stated that the majority of inmates held at the Negombo Prison have been temporarily transferred to other prison facilities. The move is intended to allow investigating officers to safely carry out investigations at the crime scene, ensure the safety of inmates, and facilitate the swift commencement of renovation work at the prison premises once the investigations are completed.