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| Thursday, 9 December 2004 |
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by Nadira Gunatilleke The Justice Ministry in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) will initiate many innovative steps to modernise the prison system in Sri Lanka in order to bring it in line with International standards, a UNDP spokeswoman said. She said that through UNDP's Equal Access to Justice' project Justice Ministry will take measures to directly impact on the operations of Prisons, as well as the services of the Legal Aid Commission to provide regular services to ensure overcrowding in prisons is reduced. Under the Justice Ministry - UNDP initiative there will be a review of the current prison inmate population to ensure those than can be released, in accordance with the current laws and regulations of the criminal justice system are released. A database spearheaded by the ministry, of the Prison population throughout the country will be developed and this information will be made available to decision makers. This is intended to identify those who can be released immediately under existing national legislation as well as establish a computerised tracking system of all prison inmates throughout the country. It is envisaged that through this system of quick identification potential abuses of human rights of prisoners could also be averted. Training programs will be conducted to create awareness among prison officials of national and international legal instruments that provide protection and services to prisoners, especially female prisoners and children. In addition all officials will be made fully aware of the duties related to their particular function within the department through on going short term and long term national and international training on their legal duties. The final goal of the training program will be to increase and create capacity of prison officials to conduct training activities for prison officials as well as for prisoners on their rights and duties. |
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