The government is preparing legal measures to place certain inmates under house arrest as part of efforts to tackle overcrowding in the country's prison system, according to Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara.
The Ministry of Justice and National Integration has initiated preliminary work on legislation that would allow selected prisoners to serve their sentences under house arrest, a move designed to reduce strain on the country's correctional facilities. Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara announced the proposal while discussing broader security improvements across the prison network.
The initiative forms part of a comprehensive approach to address prison congestion. The Minister indicated that the Ministry of Defence and Police will provide necessary support for strengthening security measures throughout all prisons. Authorities are said to be basing their actions on intelligence assessments from relevant agencies.
Separately, Nanayakkara characterized recent disturbances at Mahara Prison as confrontations between inmates and prison administration, according to preliminary investigation findings. To support the justice system's efficiency, the government has launched a programme aimed at increasing the volume of forensic and analytical reports, with officials targeting the production of between 7,500 and 9,000 reports monthly.
The proposals represent an effort to balance security concerns with the practical challenges facing Sri Lanka's overcrowded prison system, though the house arrest scheme still requires formal legal drafting and parliamentary approval before implementation.
