Sri Lanka has announced plans to expand its prison capacity as part of efforts to address overcrowding in correctional facilities.
According to the Justice Minister, the country currently has about 39,000 inmates, with around 21,000 linked to drug-related offences. He also noted that the prison service has about 1,500 vacant positions, with no recruitment carried out since 2022, although steps are now being taken to fill these gaps.
The government is also working to acquire land in the Western Province for the construction of a high-security prison facility that will accommodate about 100 inmates.
Authorities say expanding prison infrastructure is part of a long-term strategy to ease pressure on existing facilities and improve the correctional system.
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