Minister of Prison Reforms D.M. Swaminathan says that while prisoners should pay the price for whatever crime they may have committed, they need to be given basic amenities and that the government is now trying to build new prisons and give more facilities to inmates. 

He stated that are certain “fundamental things” that need looking into and that he believes the Prisons Commissioner as well as other senior officials should first of all bring a discipline in the running of the prisons. 

“If you run the prisons properly, the inmates will also be perfectly in order,” he said, addressing an event organised in Colombo yesterday (12) by the Prisoners’ Welfare Association to mark the National Prisoners’ Day.  

“I think there is a lot of looseness in our capacity as far as our discipline is concerned in prisons.” The minister stated that he does not blame any of the current officers over this as it has been a continuous problem. “This has been a legacy.”

He said that the legacy has come down generations and many of the prisoners are doing what they want and therefore this needs to be straightened and eliminated.  

Swaminathan said that today the government is trying to build new prisons and to give more facilities to the prisoners. He said that the prisoners should at least have a mat to sleep on. “They’re just sleeping on the floor.” 

He said that the basic facilities should be given and that all these years those facilities have not been given to inmates of prisons. 

“We are all humans. We all make mistakes. Tomorrow we also may have to go to prison, that’s another matter. But the question remains the penalty should be there. The prisoners should suffer for what they have done but give them the basic amenities.”

The Minister of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs said that this is what the incumbent government is trying to do and this is why the Prime Minister is trying to redo the Welikada Prison, which is likely to be moved to Horana. 

But these new prisons will be built according to international standards and ICRC regulations and the prisoners will be looked after like humans, he said.