Drug addiction on the rise, prisons overflow

Sri Lanka is facing increasing challenges with drug addiction and prison overcrowding. Authorities are struggling to provide effective rehabilitation for the growing number of people affected by substance abuse.   

Many inmates in prisons are serving sentences for drug-related offences, highlighting the need for improved rehabilitation programmes.   

In response to the growing number of drug addicts, the Bureau of Rehabilitation has informed the Ministry of Justice and National Integration that it can accommodate nearly 500 individuals, including dozens of women, for rehabilitation from toxic drug addiction.   

The Bureau, which operates three centres in Kandakadu, Senapura, and Vavuniya, told the Ministry’s Secretary that its facilities can collectively house up to 1,120 individuals. Currently, 625 individuals, including 97 women, are undergoing treatment. The rehabilitation programmes, conducted under court orders, last six months and aim to provide support for addicts struggling with substance abuse. 

The Kandakadu centre can accommodate 500 individuals, with 325 currently receiving treatment. Senapura can also house 500, but only 203 addicts are presently undergoing rehabilitation. A special facility for women in Vavuniya has been established, with a capacity for 120 women. Brigadier P.P. Priyalal, Commissioner of the Bureau, has urged institutions under the Ministry to refer addicts to these centres.   

According to the statictics, in 2025 alone, the Police conducted 164,785 raids, seizing 17,647 kg of narcotics and over 3.5 million pills, leading to the arrest of more than 164,000 individuals. Confiscated drugs included heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, hashish, cocaine, and pharmaceuticals in large quantities, reflecting the scale of narcotics trafficking and usage in the country.   

Despite intensified operations to curb drug-related crimes across the country, Sri Lanka is grappling with a growing crisis on two fronts, a surge in drug addiction and a critically overcrowded prison system that has far exceeded its holding capacity.   

According to the prison Department, currently they accommodate close to 34,000 prisoners in 36 prisons across the country, far exceeding the official capacity of 12,000.   

Overcrowding has created life-threatening conditions and undermined rehabilitative processes essential for addressing addiction and preventing recidivism.   

Drug-related offences account for around 60% of the prison population. It was reported that many inmates are addicts trapped in a vicious cycle of incarceration, release, relapse, and re-arrest.   

President of the Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) Senaka Perera criticized the current rehabilitation approach, noting that programmes are outdated and largely ineffective. “Prisoners are ‘rehabilitated’ by doing Army drills. This does nothing for an addict,” he said.   

Perera called for a holistic rehabilitation model addressing medical, psychological, and physiological needs, alongside robust post-release follow-up. He cited Australia’s system, where aftercare ensures that former addicts reintegrate into society successfully.   

The CPRP has submitted recommendations to the Minister of Justice for fundamental reforms, proposing short-term interventions to alleviate overcrowding and enhance drug rehabilitation, as well as long-term measures focusing on education, vocational training, mental health, and improved conditions for prison officers.