Sri Lanka to reintegrate prisoners into society

The Sri Lankan government is to launch a program to reintegrate the prisoners into the society, the Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Minister, Chandrasiri Gajadeera has said.

Addressing the 93rd Annual General Meeting of the Prisoners Welfare Association, the Minister has said the program aims to reform the inmates psychologically to make them productive citizens and prevent them from returning to the prison.

The Minister has pointed out that the labor skills they possess can be utilized in various activities to achieve socio-economic benefits. The prisoners can be transformed through their involvement in these activities, the Minister added.

Sri Lankan prisons are severely overcrowded and the government is considering community-based correction for inmates jailed for minor offences as one of the solutions to the problem of overcrowding.