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Inmates: Good readers to get remission of sentence

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26 July 2018 10:47 pm - 15     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam today said he would request the President to grant a remission of sentence for the prisoners who read the highest number of books from the prison library.

Addressing the media at the Welikada Prison premises during a book launching ceremony, he said making prisoners addicted to reading would make them knowledgeable and wise.

He said that he hoped to request the President along with the Justice and Prison Reforms Minister Thalatha Atukorale to grant remission of sentence for prisoners who read the highest number of books from the prison library. He further said thirty prisons were found to be suitable for establishing libraries and ten have been selected to set up libraries.

“The prisoners should provide comments and criticism of the books they read to have their prison term reduced. Even the National Library and Documentation Services Board requested me to implement procedures to establish libraries in all the Prisons in the country to increase the prisoners reading habit,” he said.

“That will be easier to rehabilitate them,” he said.

Minister Kariyawasam said he would request the President to reduce the prison term for those who read the highest number of books.

“I told the National Library Services Board to put Thripitaka, Mahawansaya, stories of the Lord Buddha's past births Pansiya Panas Jathaka, the Holy Quran, the Holy Bible, biographies of political leaders like Nelson Mandela.

“We will see how many days of sentence remission we can get for an inmate, who read a lot.

“For the inmates who were sentenced to life imprisonment, the government can consider reducing their term, because no one would like to be in prison for long,” Minister Kariyawasam said.

While speaking at the ceremony Prison Reforms Minister Thalatha Atukorale said the Ministry had already started collecting information of inmates to get them released considering their stay at the Prisons.

“We will consider releasing the inmates except those who were involved in organised crimes,” she said.

She said that following a field investigation, the Ministry had found that some families of inmates were not willing to accept them. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)

 

Video by Buddhi

 

Pix by Ishan Sanjeewa


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  Comments - 15

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  • stardust Thursday, 26 July 2018 10:24 PM

    how will you know that they really read the books via DM Android App

    dulan Friday, 27 July 2018 08:47 AM

    Please read the note carefully

    MW Thursday, 26 July 2018 11:00 PM

    For a pathetic country like Sri Lanka which can not think on its own and always copying the Western ideas,this is a great news.

    stan Thursday, 26 July 2018 11:01 PM

    he's joking right?

    Wele Suda Friday, 27 July 2018 06:53 AM

    Being and inmate is better than being a civil man. You have a well protected luxurious life without paying taxes. All expenses are payed by lawful citizens.

    sacre blieu Friday, 27 July 2018 09:07 AM

    Thought she had better brains than that. The inmates would take a book today and return it to tomorrow and repeat the action. Who and how will it be tested that the book has been read , understood and that knowledge retained?

    J A Nihal Peiris Friday, 27 July 2018 09:38 AM

    Reading highest number of books does not mean that anybody can correct themselves also how can we really know that these people'really reading and correcting themselves?

    wickremasinghe Friday, 27 July 2018 09:43 AM

    Plese do not talk rubbish Mr. minister,Trying to waste public money again. They are in prison because of the wrong that has been done by them.You just want to get to the lime light man.Elections are getting closer. They are too old to learn how to read books. Change the education system. MAKE ENGLISH COMPULSARY and see that the teachers cover the syllabus during school time.

    cheers Friday, 27 July 2018 10:20 AM

    Look who is talking the UNP memebers who has killed many innocent civilians including Richard De Soyza now they are talking about good

    LP Friday, 27 July 2018 10:30 AM

    We know a person read many books engineered the worldbiggest Bond scam.

    Ceylon Friday, 27 July 2018 03:22 PM

    Who are these idiots to give parden to criminals????.criminals must suffer the punishments for their commited crimes.why these fake politicians not helping the victims of these criminals ????.

    Waco Friday, 27 July 2018 03:33 PM

    This is a foolish Idea. Instead establish Diary Farms and Vegitable Cultivation Farms for the Prisners.

    S.P.RAMKUMAR Friday, 27 July 2018 04:23 PM

    Most of the criminals were sentenced by courts and being as inmates, but Victims of crimes are mostly suffering outside, This ministers have to tell those inmates about the victims. We don't want to think too mush about those criminals. reducing jail terms because of reading books is utter joke, It may planned help those ministers supporters to come out from the jail.

    Ash Friday, 27 July 2018 05:59 PM

    Why not give them Tabs to broaden their knowledge and not get caught again.

    Bookworm Saturday, 28 July 2018 06:58 PM

    What a stupid idea! There is a compelling reason why these inmates are behind bars. I think the Education Minister should go back to school, read some books himself and get a proper education.


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