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| Saturday, 28 June 2003 |
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by Emma Knights and Kiran Bhamber Television actress and former inmate Anosha Sonali is actively campaigning to improve living conditions in Welikada women's prison in conjunction with prison officials. At present conditions are dire. Anosha has kindly organised for Mark Fernando, managing director of Shiran Garments, to donate toiletries, food and 400 blouses to the cost of Rs 100,000. However, the actual accommodation remains squalid. Those on remand inhabit one dingy room which is damp, dirty and unfurnished. They don't even have beds to sleep in let alone chairs to sit on. Plastic bottles and buckets are used to divide the space up between the prisoners. Here they sleep, eat and spend most of their day. Only the toilet and bathroom are in separate areas. The toilet is just a hole in the ground whilst the bath is a small stone tub ingrained with dirt. There is no running water so buckets are used to fill the bath twice a day. All the inmates have to bathe in the same water making it impossible for them to ever feel clean. Fortunately, Rumy Marzook, Commissioner General of Prisons, is currently developing plans to renovate the bathroom facilities by adding a shower and tiling the walls. The only relief that these women have is that they can walk around the prison gardens. Those who have been convicted don't have this luxury and spend the majority of their day sitting in their bare cells. Old paper chains hang from the ceilings in an attempt to brighten up their living quarters but it has little effect. The rest of the accommodation is much the same, with the exception of the dispensary. Although just as dire and depressing as everywhere else there are at least beds for the sick to sleep in. But that is all. It is the same for the pregnant mothers in the maternity ward. What is most distressing about these living conditions is that innocent children must endure them too. Those whose mothers have been convicted and have nobody to care for them in the outside world live in the recently built daycare centre. There are some toys and a few murals on the walls, but the bars on the windows and the bare desolate rooms are no place for children to grow up. Whilst these physical conditions are bad, it is the boredom and the mental torture which torments the prisoners the most. Until Kumari Rathnaweera became Chief Jailor 5 years ago all the prison consisted of was accommodation blocks. Thanks to her the prisoners now have a library and daycare centre for the children. However, despite this the inmates still have very little to occupy their time. According to Anosha, "they sleep a lot, watch TV, and just hang around. Although there is a small library each inmate is only allowed to borrow one book per week and newspapers are banned. They are only allowed a very brief meeting with their family once a day." In order to occupy the inmates Anosha is organising a variety entertainment show with the help of prison officers tomorrow. It is the first time such a show has taken place within a Sri Lankan prison and Anosha hopes to take the show to every women's prison in Sri Lanka. Professional singers shall be attending and the prisoners themselves will perform two musical numbers. They are also involved in constructing the stage as well as preparing refreshments and handicrafts to be sold on the day. It is clear that standards within Welikada Prison are beginning to improve but there is still a long way to go. More people like Anosha and her sponsor Mark Fernando are needed to help the prison officials achieve their aims. Prison Officer Aruni Shanthie comments, "In the twelve years that I have worked here Anosha Sonali is the only ex-prisoner to help make this prison a better place". |
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