AG formulates guidelines to reduce prison overcrowding

By Yoshitha Perera

Considering the Covid-19 outbreak and prison overcrowding, Attorney General Dappula de Livera issued guidelines to acting IGP on granting bail to the remandees.

 In the letter, the AG mentioned that there were 13,000 remand prisoners in the country now and almost 8000 were related to drug offences.

He said the guidelines were set up based on a request made by President’s Secretary to reduce the number of remand inmates across the country due the possible threat to prisoners due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Accordingly, the AG advised the acting IGP to consider the instructions provided in Section 393 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Code when granting bail to the suspects.

He said that the relevant guidelines will not apply to persons arrested with more than two grammes of heroin in their possession.    Further he said, remand inmates allegedly linked to drug trafficking, money laundering and other serious crimes will not be considered bail under these guidelines.

He also said drug addicts and Island Re-convicted Criminals (IRCs) will not fall under these guidelines.  
The AG said local Police stations where the particular person resides, must closely monitor the movements of those released on these bail conditions.