Government Reportedly Preparing to Introduce House Arrest System to Ease Prison Overcrowding Following Negombo Prison Tragedy | Sri Lanka Latest News
Following the tragic incident at the Negombo Prison, the government is reportedly preparing to introduce a house arrest system as part of efforts to reduce overcrowding in prisons.
It is also learned that a high-level committee has been appointed to examine the implementation of the proposed house arrest system.
Under this proposal, instead of being remanded in custody, certain prisoners would be detained at their residences. It is further learned that an electronic monitoring system has been proposed to oversee individuals placed under house arrest.
Accordingly, prisoners placed under the system would be required to wear an electronic bracelet on either their wrist or ankle, enabling authorities to monitor them continuously.
Discussions on introducing a house arrest system reportedly began in 2023. At the time, then Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe took steps to appoint a committee comprising Supreme Court judges to study the proposal and submit a report.
It is understood that the then Minister of Justice subsequently forwarded the committee’s report to the Legal Draftsman for further action.
