• Alleges suicide in murder convict’s fall from building 

The Committee for Protecting the Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) organisation has cast doubts on the death of an inmate in the Welikada Prison on Monday (11), reportedly after falling from the building, alleging that the same was a suicide 

The deceased convict in question was sentenced to death over the murder of Parliamentarian Amarakeerthi Athukorala.

The Committee alleged the Government is not maintaining an environment to safeguard prisoners' mental health rights. The Rights group announced that it is planning to meet Justice Minister, Harshana Nanayakkara today (13), specifically to request for safeguarding the mental well-being of prisoners.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (12), the President of the Committee, attorney Senaka Perera said that, according to the Prisons Ordinance, it is a must to take care of the mental well-being of prisoners by the appointed medical officials, and that the said responsibility is gravely neglected in prisons in our country. "Even though a doctor in a prison is expected to attend to the well-being of the prisoners for approximately 5,000 hours monthly, it is only around 1,500 hours that they really do so. If the mental well-being of the prisoners is safeguarded, these incidents would be reduced," he said. "We have planned to meet the Justice Minister tomorrow (13) to discuss this matter," he added. 

Further, the Rights group also associated recent attempts by inmates to escape and the frustration that erupts within prisons with the lack of provision of mental health for inmates’ well-being.