• Prison hospital build for 185, now hold more than 350
• Increasing remandees worsens congestion; Dr. Ranasinghe

The prison health authorities said that congestion in prisons could further increase unless issues related to overcrowding and a lack of institutional cooperation are improved.

 Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (18), Director of Prison Health Dr. Hemantha Ranasinghe said there was recently an extensive discussion between the stakeholders like the Ministry of Justice, the Police Department, The Ministry of Defence and judicial institutions.

He also said that the increase in the number of people in remand custody has been a major cause of the congestion in prison hospitals.

 The director also noted that a significant number of prisoners with minor offences and drug-addicted prisoners have been accommodated in the prison hospital. “Most of the patients in prison hospitals are prisoners with minor offences and due to being drug addicts. Some shortcomings in the judicial system and procedure have increased the congestion in prison hospitals,” he opined.

Dr. Ranasinghe stated that the prison health authorities are having discussions with the related stakeholders to look into the possible measures that can be taken to address the issue. “As we know, these issues cannot be resolved by ourselves. It requires a broad discussion, which is very rare in countries like ours. We, the prison authorities, cannot find the solutions alone. My personal opinion is that the congestion can be addressed if we can systematise the law enforcement system and the judicial procedures,” he said.

The prison authorities recently revealed that  current capacity at the prison hospital has reached unprecedented levels, raising grave concerns among authorities.

According to the Prisons Department, current inmate count at the facility stands at 350, significantly exceeding its capacity of 185.