Sri Lanka’s Minister of Justice and Prison Reforms, Thalatha Atukorala says that a decision has been taken to establish a new prison police unit within the Prisons Department.
Speaking at a function held in Ratnapura Thursday (16th) the Minister said decision was taken immediately after the recent dissolution of the Prison intelligence Unit.
She said that the new police unit would be made with legal authority to take action during any prison issues.
This will be the first time such a unit operates in the history of the prison system.
The Minister pointed out that since 2010 no party had the responsibility for the prison intelligence sector. Therefore, sometimes the unit acted according to the needs of the senior officials and the political authority.
Justice and Prisons Reforms Minister last month disbanded the Intelligence Unit at the country’s maximum security Welikada prison in Colombo with immediate effect as information has come to light that underworld leaders and drug traffickers jailed in the maximum security prison are continuing to operate from the Prison.
