Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara says he suspects there may have been an organised external influence behind the unrest that erupted at Mahara Prison on August 1 and has instructed the relevant authorities to investigate the possibility.
Speaking on the incident, the Minister said the disturbance differed from previous prison incidents and appeared to have been primarily directed against the prison administration. He said one of the immediate factors could be the Government’s ongoing anti-narcotics drive, which has significantly curtailed the flow of drugs into prisons.
Nanayakkara noted that although prison overcrowding has been a long-standing issue, it could not be considered the sole cause of the unrest. He said the Government was nevertheless taking several measures to reduce congestion in prisons.
These include expanding physical capacity in remand and other prison facilities, simplifying the bail process, and introducing community-based rehabilitation programmes.
The Minister also revealed that a Cabinet proposal has been submitted to amend the law to allow suspects charged with possessing less than 100 grams of narcotics to apply for bail through the High Court. The move is intended to reduce delays faced by remand prisoners due to the late submission of Government Analyst’s reports.
He further disclosed that of the total prison population, around 30,000 are currently being held on remand, with approximately 23,000 of them facing drug-related charges.
