Real rehabilitation

Friday, 1 June 2012 02:26 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sri Lanka is improving itself in a myriad of ways. The most interesting perhaps is that it is making the effort to better the lives of a group that are often ignored by society.

The Government is getting ready to open Sri Lanka’s largest prison next month. While this may not seem as a reason for celebration the fact that this will give 3,000 people the chance to lead better lives needs to be noted. The new prison in Pallekelle will house those who were in Bogambara prison and according to official intentions, reduce the overcrowding and increase the rehabilitation facilities given to them.

Readers will remember that the Government received Cabinet approval to remove key prisons from city centres and relocate them as a way to use the land and buildings currently housing prisons in a more productive manner. The prisoners will also benefit from the change as they will be sent to larger complexes that will, one hopes, be better equipped to deal with the rehabilitation challenges Sri Lanka faces. The new prison built at a cost of Rs.1.9 billion is the first step in this direction.

Clashes in prisons are a common occurrence, partially due to the inhuman conditions that prisoners are forced to endure and a completely inept justice system that is fast losing public trust. Prisoners are a group to be pitied in Sri Lanka as they are repeatedly victimised by society and the judicial system. Therefore this attempt to upgrade the prison system should be lauded.

However, massive problems still exist within the system. In 2010, around 50% of people sent home after serving their prison sentences returned. Newspapers reported that out of 32,128 prisoners who were rehabilitated and sent home last year, 12,597 returned to spend time behind bars. Over 7,590 people have been remanded more than once in 2010. Over 5,000 people returned to prison twice after being released. Prison records show that 50% of people who are sent home return each year in Sri Lanka.

The statistics shockingly show that 86 people were remanded a whopping 11 times in 2010. This is just a glimpse into the country’s massively-deteriorated justice system. The law should ultimately serve the entire society, which includes the wrongdoers who should be given a chance to learn something new and return to their lives with the ability to live within legal parameters.

The fact that half of prisoners in Sri Lanka end up back behind bars each year shows that the rehabilitation policies are largely a failure. Criminals are made, not born, and it is clear that the economic resurgence of the country must reach these people if they are to move into living within the law. The more people who are left to languish in prison and not allowed to lead a normal life, the more accustomed they become to violence and working for drug barons, corrupt politicians and other underworld members.

A total of 57,000 grave crimes were committed in 2010. Barely 25% reached the courts for prosecution and only 4% led to convictions. Yet tens of thousands of prisoners are kept in terrible conditions, mistreated and victimised both inside and outside prisons. An important step has been taken with the new prison and it can only be hoped that the Government continues to speedily provide solutions to the larger issues.