The Department of Prisons is working to strengthen the rehabilitation, counselling, and spiritual programmes conducted by the Department to develop the mental wellbeing of prisoners, following a significant number of suicides reported during the past several years.

According to information obtained through an application filed under the Right to Information Act, a total of 61 people, both suspects and convicts, have allegedly committed suicide by hanging themselves inside prisons between 2020 and this year (2024), the media reported. Within the said period, a total of 631 prisoners have reportedly died in prison, the majority of them being male, with 18 females.

Against this backdrop, the Department Spokesperson and Commissioner of Prisons (Operation/Intelligence), Gamini B. Dissanayake told The Daily Morning that the Department is paying attention to every individual and their mental health condition, but that sometimes, it is difficult to do so with the increasing number of prisoners. 

However, he noted that all the prisoners who are new entrants are subjected to a rehabilitation programme, and that those who are identified with a mental illness would also be provided consultation by psychiatrists and counsellors. Dissanayake also stated that in addition to rehabilitation and counselling programmes, the prisoners are encouraged to engage in spiritual and aesthetic activities that are helpful in maintaining mental wellbeing. 

Stating that the Department is attempting to monitor every prisoner as much as possible, he said that certain unavoidable personal and psychological issues might cause suicides. He also said that certain individuals commit suicide within a very short period of time once they are imprisoned and that therefore, it has been very difficult to deal with such incidents. He added that the Department is currently working to strengthen the existing programmes while looking for new approaches to prevent such suicidal deaths.