Sri Lanka's Prisons Department to separate prisoners charged with narcotic-related offenses

The Sri Lankan government has decided to separate prisoners charged with narcotics-related offenses from other prisoners.

Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Minister D.E.W. Gunasekara says the Prisons Department has taken steps to isolate these prisoners and relocate them to prisons which have facilities for rehabilitation.
The Prisons Department made this decision after the recent prison riot at the high-security Welikada Prison.
Prisoners charged with narcotic-related offenses will be placed in prisons at Weerawila, Pallekale, and Thaldena in Badulla.

These reforms are expected to curb the circulation of narcotics within prisons as well as prisoners operating narcotic distribution networks within the prisons.

Gunasekara says internal investigations reveal that a majority of drug dealers currently in prison have operated, mainly between Chilaw and Colombo, and while in prison in Colombo, they are able to peddle drugs both inside prisons and also in their networks within the city.