President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has directed the creation of a coordinated mechanism to oversee security, inmate welfare and emergency response across Sri Lanka's 33 prisons, to be implemented next week.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has ordered the establishment of a joint operational mechanism aimed at improving prison security, inmate welfare and emergency preparedness nationwide. The directive emerged from a special meeting held at the Presidential Secretariat on Friday to assess current conditions across the prison system and evaluate existing safety protocols.
The proposed mechanism will be responsible for identifying and addressing grievances faced by incarcerated individuals, monitoring their welfare conditions and coordinating rapid responses during crises. The framework will encompass all 33 prisons in the country and include personnel from the Department of Prisons, Sri Lanka Police, Special Task Force and armed forces personnel where circumstances warrant their involvement. Officials expect the mechanism to become operational within the coming week.
As part of the initiative, participating officials are anticipated to engage directly with inmates to better understand their concerns and needs. The oversight structure aims to create a comprehensive approach to prison management by integrating security, welfare and emergency protocols under one coordinated system.
The meeting convened top government officials including Minister of Justice and National Integration Harshana Nanayakkara, Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala, Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya, and senior representatives from the Defence and Justice ministries alongside prison and intelligence service leadership.
