Old Bogambara Prison re-established to ease prison congestion

The Government has officially re-established the Old Bogambara Prison to help address overcrowding in Sri Lanka’s prison system. The decision was announced through an Extraordinary Gazette issued on July 8, 2026, by the Ministry of Justice and National Integration. The Gazette, signed by Minister Harshana Nanayakkara under Section 2 of the Prisons Ordinance (Chapter 54), establishes the Old Bogambara Prison as a prison for the purposes of the Ordinance, with jurisdiction covering the whole of Sri Lanka. The move comes as authorities seek to ease congestion in prisons across the country following a sharp increase in the inmate population. The historic Bogambara Prison in Kandy operated for 138 years before closing in 2014, after which inmates were transferred to the Dumbara Prison in Pallekele. (Newswire)