The government has focused its attention on controlling the unrest that has arisen in prisons across the island. Accordingly, a special meeting was held recently under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to discuss the unrest that has arisen in prisons and the steps to be taken.
The meeting, which was attended by Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala, Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara, Defense Secretary Sampath Thuiyakontha, Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasuriya and officers of the State Intelligence Service, reportedly took the following decisions.
As a quick solution to the shortage of jailers that has severely affected the inability to maintain security in prisons, 1,000 recently retired tri-service officers will be immediately recruited as jailers and assigned to the Prisons Department after a short training period.
Establishment of Police Special Task Force (STF) units to ensure security in all prisons in the island.
Establishment of Special Organizing Committees comprising representatives of the Prisons Department, Police, Tri-Forces and Intelligence Agencies in each prison to prevent unrest in one prison from spreading to another.
All relevant recruitments are to be carried out by the Ministry of Justice.