Sri Lanka’s prisons are facing a critical overcrowding issue, with nearly 33,000 inmates currently held despite a capacity of just 12,000, according to Prisons Media Spokesman Commissioner Jagath Weerasinghe.

Speaking at a press briefing in Colombo, he said 65% of inmates are incarcerated for drug-related offenses, creating further strain on the 36 prison institutions nationwide.

He also highlighted a significant shortage of prison officers, adding that although the majority of officers are committed, public confidence has been affected by the actions of a few.

Weerasinghe stressed the need to reduce imprisonments to avoid a national crisis and added that while security has been tightened, prisons remain vulnerable to external smuggling attempts like mobile phones being thrown over walls.