FINANCIAL CHRONICLE – The construction of the new Dumbara prison in Sri Lanka, with an estimated cost of 4,363 million rupees based on the latest revised estimates, will be expedited to address the issue of overcrowding in the prison system, according to the Justice Minister.

“Overall, the existing prison system is operating at over 300% capacity, and we are exploring the possibility of housing some prisoners in designated government buildings,” stated Minister of Justice and National Integration, Harshana Nanayakkara, in parliament.

The primary factor contributing to the prison congestion is the insufficient number of forensic analysts in the state sector. “We are currently working to increase the number of forensic analysts by 50 in the near future, with an additional 30 or so to follow,” Nanayakkara added.

The new prison is intended to replace the old Bogambara and Nuwara prisons and will have the capacity to accommodate up to 400 female prisoners and 2,500 male prisoners. Additionally, 102 staff houses will be constructed for prison officials.

Currently, Sri Lanka has approximately 37,760 inmates incarcerated, with around 27,000 in remand custody on suspicion of crimes.

“At present, there are around 17,000 individuals under supervision through the community-based correction system, and we aim to increase this number this year,” said Nanayakkara.

The community-based correction system in Sri Lanka is a legal framework established under the Community Based Corrections Act No. 46 of 1999. It allows individuals convicted of minor offenses to correct their behavior while remaining in their communities, rather than serving time in prison.

The minister mentioned that the government is considering several solutions to alleviate the severe congestion in prisons.

(Colombo/Jan20/2026)