The Department of Prisons ( Sinhala: බන්ධනාගාර දෙපාර්තමේන්තුව ''Bandhanagara Departhamenthuwa'') is a department of the Government of Sri Lanka responsible for the incarceration and rehabilitation of convicted criminal offenders and terror suspects, coming under the purview of the Minister of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs. The Commissioner-General of Prisons reports to the Subject Minister, who is in turn responsible to the

Parliament of Sri Lanka The Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකා පාර්ලිමේන්තුව ''Shri Lanka Parlimenthuwa'', Tamil: இலங்கை நாடாளுமன்றம் ''Ila� ...

. The current Commissioner-General of Prisons is Thushara Upuldeniya.

History

The new prisons system that evolved in Britain was introduced to the British colonies during 1844. The Department of Prisons came into existence first affiliated to the Police Dept. under the then

Inspector General of Police An Inspector General of Police is a senior police officer in the police force or police service of several nations. The rank usually refers to the head of a large regional command within a police service, and in many countries refers to the most se ...

Sir

George William Robert Campbell Sir George William Robert Campbell (1835–1905) was the first British colonial Inspector General of Police of British Ceylon. Campbell was born in 1835 in Campbeltown, Argyll, Scotland, the son of John Campbell and Eliza née Elder. He ...

under the Act no.18 of 1844. The supervision and control of all prisons in the Island were vested in Inspector General of Prisons. From its inceptions the office of Inspector General of Prisons was held by the Inspector General of Police until 1905 when they separated. Major

Albert De Wilton Major Albert Walter De Wilton (1862–13 October 1931) was the fifth British colonial Inspector-General of Police in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Wilton was born in Samalkota, India, in 1862, the second son of Dr Jacob Wilkins (1830–1879) and J ...

who till then held both offices was appointed Inspector General of Prisons and he was also appointed to be the Superintendent of the Prisons at Welikada, Mutwal and Hultsdorf. In 1922 the penal colony of the

Andaman Islands The Andaman Islands () are an archipelago in the northeastern Indian Ocean about southwest off the coasts of Myanmar's Ayeyarwady Region. Together with the Nicobar Islands to their south, the Andamans serve as a maritime boundary between th ...

were closed down and 62 life convicts sent back to Ceylon. In 1944 a probation system was introduced as a branch of the Prison Department. In 2022, the

Sri Lanka Prisons Emergency Action and Tactical Force The Sri Lanka Prisons Emergency Action and Tactical Force (SPEAT FORCE) was formed in 2022 under the Department of Prisons, following the restructure of the former prison intelligence unit by the Minister of Justice. The unit is tasked with securi ...

was formed under the Prison Department to provide specialist security and riot control within the prison system.

Responsibilities

The Department of Prisons is tasked with ensuring that custodial sentences (imprisonment) and non-custodial sentences and orders (home detention, supervision, community work and release on conditions) imposed by Sri Lankan Courts are administered in a safe, secure, humane and effective way. The Department aims to contribute to the maintenance of a safe and just society by reducing the level of re-offending through the delivery of targeted and appropriate programmes to help offender's rehabilitation and reintegration to society. The Department is also responsible for the transportation of prisoners within the country with the assistance of the

Sri Lanka Police (The one who lives by the Dhamma is protected by the Dhamma itself) , mission = , formedyear = , preceding1 = Ceylon Police Force (1866–1972) , dissolved = , superseding = , employees = ...

Facilities

* Prison Headquarters, Colombo **

* The Centre for Research and Training in Corrections *Maximum security prisons - 03 **

Welikada Prison The Welikada Prison (also known as the ''Magazine Prison'') is a maximum security prison and the largest prison in Sri Lanka. It was built in 1841 by the British colonial government under Governor Cameron. The prison covers an area of . It is over ...

Bogambara Prison Bogambara Prison was a maximum security prison and the second largest prison in the country after Welikada Prison in Colombo, Sri Lanka. After operating for 138 years, the prison was closed on 1 January 2014, and the inmates were transferred to ...

Mahara Prison Mahara Prison is a maximum security prison, and is one of the largest prisons in Sri Lanka. Situated in the old city of Mahara in the Western Province, it was built in 1875 by the British colonial government to ease the congestion at the Slave I ...

*Remand Prisons - 17 *Work Camps – 06 *Open Prison Camps – 02 ** Pallekele Open Prisons Camp *Correctional Centers for Youthful Offenders –02 *Training School for Youthful Offenders – 01 *Work Release Center – 01 *Lock–ups –28 (Prison buildings sited near courts to which prisoners with pending cases are transferred.)

Ranks

Officers

*Commissioner General of Prisons *Additional Commissioner General of Prisons *Commissioner of Prisons *Deputy Commissioner of Prisons *Senior Superintendent of Prisons * Superintendent of Prisons *Assistant Superintendent of Prisons

Jailors

* Chief Jailor, Chief Welfare Officer *

Jailor A prison officer or corrections officer is a uniformed law enforcement official responsible for the custody, supervision, safety, and regulation of prisoners. They are responsible for the care, custody, and control of individuals who have been ...

Class 1, Class 1 Welfare Officer *Jailor Class 2, Class 2 Welfare Officer

Guards and other staff

* Sergeant * Guard *Watcher *Labour

Uniform

Department of prisons officers, jailers, sergeant and guards wear a khaki uniform similar to that of

police officer A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...

s with the exception of their use of a khaki peak cap.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Department Of Prisons (Sri Lanka)

Prisons A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...

Law enforcement in Sri Lanka Prison and correctional agencies *