Sri Lanka prison system faces severe overcrowding and over 1,000 inmate deaths

Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara said Sri Lanka’s prisons, built for about 10,375 inmates, are now holding roughly four times that number. The government is considering legal amendments and technology‑based alternatives such as house arrest, and is boosting the capacity of the Government Analyst Department to issue 1,500‑2,000 reports a month to reduce remand populations. New facilities like the three‑storey Pugoda Court Complex have also been opened to help ease case backlogs.

Data released by rights groups show that 1,021 prisoners died in Sri Lankan custody over the past five years, highlighting chronic overcrowding and inadequate medical care. The deaths have spurred calls for thorough investigations, greater transparency and structural reforms to protect the health and rights of inmates. The government has not yet issued a formal response, but prison reform remains a key issue on the nation’s human‑rights agenda.