• Probe underway into any ‘conspiracy’ behind riot
• Prisons Dept. cadre being revised to enable more recruitment

Two more Prison guards succumbed to their injuries while receiving treatment at the Colombo National Hospital, raising the death toll from the violent clash at the Negombo Prison to 31.

According to the Police, the latest fatalities bring the total number of deaths to 31, including 10 Prison officers. The two Prison officers succumbed on Monday (13) and in the early hours of yesterday (14) while receiving treatment. The deceased have been identified as two Prison officers aged 25 and 39. A total of 21 inmates also lost their lives during the clashes that took place at the Prison on 5 and 6 July. Several other injured inmates and Prison officers are currently receiving treatment at the Colombo Hospital and the Negombo District General Hospital.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Health and Mass Media Minister, Dr Hansaka Wijemuni has stated that investigations are currently underway to determine whether there was a conspiracy behind the fatal clash that recently occurred at the Prison. He made these remarks while speaking during a discussion held in the Kandy District. He said that it had been decided to temporarily establish a new Prison at the Old Bogambara Prison premises in Kandy and also to convert the old Mahamodara Hospital in Galle into a Prison, only for a few months as an immediate measure. He further stated that both facilities would be closed once the Government introduces solutions to address the issue of overcrowding in prisons. He noted that prison overcrowding has been a longstanding issue, creating several challenges within the prison system. He attributed the increase in prison congestion to factors including unnecessary delays in court proceedings, the non-receipt of investigation reports, and the rising number of drug-related arrests. The relevant Gazette notification to establish a new Prison at the Old Bogambara Prison premises was issued by the Justice Minister, attorney Harshana Nanayakkara on 8 July. The Gazette notification to establish a new Prison at the Mahamodara Hospital premises was issued on 7 July.

Elsewhere, a pre-existing perception about inmates was a key factor that led to the escalation of the incident at the Negombo Prison, the former Prisons Commissioner General (CG), Jagath Weerasinghe stated. Speaking during a television programme regarding the clash at the Prison recently, Weerasinghe said that Prison officials had made a serious error by entering the facility without adequate precautions after placing trust in the inmates. He said that two inmates had died on 5 July due to an internal dispute, but that the information had not been effectively communicated to the Prison officers. The following morning (6 July), a group of officers had entered the Prison premises without weapons, he added. "The biggest issue was the perception held about the inmates," Weerasinghe said. He said that during his nearly 38 years of service in the Prisons Department, he had never trusted inmates under any circumstances. He noted that the officers had made a serious mistake by entering the Prison based on their trust in the inmates. He also highlighted the strain on prison management, stating that around 5,500 officers are currently responsible for overseeing approximately 43,000 inmates.

Further, Cabinet Spokesperson Dr Nalinda Jayatissa said that the Criminal Investigation Department had recorded statements from 200 persons including inmates, Prison officers, Police officers and Special Task Force personnel in connection with the Prison incident while seven Scene of Crime Officer teams were probing the same and available closed circuit television camera footage is also utilised in the same. He added that all weapons have been recovered and all except three post-mortem examinations have been concluded. Moreover, to ease prison congestion during the period from this year (2026) to 2029, he spoke of the construction of new buildings in Prisons such as those in Welikada including Magazine, Pallekele, Watareka including Remand and High-Security, Kalutara, Kuruvita, Wariyapola, and Matara-Kotawila, Colombo and Horana-Millewa. Also, 360 new Prison guards are undergoing training while 207 more are to sit for the relevant exam and 142 jailors are undergoing training and 78 more are to be interviewed.  

Furthermore, the Department stated that it is considering revising its cadre requirement to enable the recruitment of more prison officers as part of efforts to address severe prison overcrowding. Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday, Department Spokesperson A C Gajanayake said that the main challenge facing the prison system is overcrowding, and that increasing the number of prison officers is essential to managing the situation more effectively. "To deal with prison overcrowding, we need more prison officers. However, recruitment has to take place within the approved cadre and the existing recruitment process. Therefore, we are considering revising the approved cadre to pave the way for additional recruitment," he said.

It was reported last year (2025) that the Department was facing a shortage of more than 1,000 prison officers, placing considerable pressure on daily operations, including security inspections and inmate searches.

The move comes in the wake of the recent violence at the Negombo Prison, where clashes between inmates and Prison officers claimed several lives and left many others injured. The incident once again brought attention to long-standing issues within the prison system, including severe overcrowding, staff shortages, and the lack of resources needed to maintain security and manage the inmate population effectively.