The Hon. (Dr.) (Ms.) Kaushalya Ariyarathne

¶ 01 Mr. Chairman, on this day debating the Expenditure Head of the Ministry of Justice and National Integration, I want to draw attention to a group we often overlook and rarely speak about.

¶ 02 Let me begin with a thought. The Cameroonian political philosopher Achille Mbembe speaks of necropolitics—simply, the politics of death: who lives and who dies, decided not by us but by the State. During colonial times in Sri Lanka, the colonial rulers managed necropolitics. After independence, the elite ruling class carried forward the politics of death. Religious and casteist extremisms then declared some groups as unworthy of life in society. Later, neoliberal economic reforms placed the working class in the position of those who “must die.” We speak of a livable life and a grievable death—whose lives are livable, and when they die, who mourns? In my view, the rationale behind our Budget, going beyond numbers, is to include those whom the politics of death has excluded—those deemed expendable and unworthy of belonging.

¶ 03 I speak of prisons from that standpoint. Some data first: Sri Lanka has around 60 prisons and related institutions—4 closed prisons, 18 remand prisons, 16 work camps, 2 open camps, 2 correctional centres for youth, training centres, and about 23 police lock-ups. As of 27 February 2025, there were 20,307 remandees and 9,158 convicted prisoners, totalling 29,465. Do not forget there are 47 small children in prison with their mothers. Of these inmates, 14,640 are for drug-related offences, and 62% are under 40—young people of working age. Further, 92% of inmates have only O/L or lower education. This tells us about the social class of those we identify as prisoners.

¶ 04 What are we doing in this Budget? Our party’s policy statement “A Prosperous Country – Beautiful Life” (pp. 208-209) sets out our vision for prisons: “Humanity-based prisons – a just custodial life.” I will focus on three areas within my limited time. As mentioned earlier, overcrowding is severe. Capacity is about 10,395 but we hold around 29,000—over 275% occupancy. Our National People’s Power policy bases itself on the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules), including proper classification and custody.

¶ 05 This Budget allocates Rs. 0.9 billion for the Pallekele Prison Complex, Rs. 0.22 billion for prison refurbishments in the Western Province, Rs. 0.1 billion to enhance the prison software system, and Rs. 0.4 billion to improve inmate sanitation facilities.

¶ 06 I also note that we have gazetted the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Bill to allow inmates to give testimony via audio-visual means without being physically produced in court—primarily for inmate safety.

¶ 07 We will recruit 1,000 new probation officers this year to expand community-based corrections so that minor offenders and those imprisoned for non-payment of fines can be diverted, reducing inmate numbers. The Prisons Research and Training Institute is a valuable but underutilized asset; during my time at the University of Colombo in 2012-2013, we researched why rehabilitation had long failed. We are now increasing funding by Rs. 100 million for strong vocational training for inmates.

¶ 08 Second, on prison staff: they face low pay and limited allowances. We allocate Rs. 6.92 billion for salaries and allowances and Rs. 6.5 billion for food and uniforms. We recruited 142 new officers in January 2025 and expect to recruit 205 more this year. Importantly, we are creating space for officers to work independently, free of political interference, and laying the groundwork for a human-rights-based prison administration.

¶ 09 We have decided that children in custody will no longer be transported to courts together with adults; Rs. 250 million is allocated to procure vehicles for juvenile transport. We allocate Rs. 500 million for children in probation/reform institutions, certified schools, remand custody and child-care homes; and Rs. 1,000 million to provide a Rs. 1 million housing grant when they reintegrate. We propose 205 programs, including new ones, to provide skills up to NVQ Level 3 or 4, and we have a clear reintegration policy—jobs, alternative education pathways, and structured support.

¶ 10 For too long, prisoners—stigmatized and kept outside society—have not been effectively rehabilitated into good citizens. Prisons became places that furthered crime, in part due to politics. We are creating conditions for officers to work with a positive mindset and treating inmates not merely as criminals, but as people to be rehabilitated and made productive to society. The Budget reflects allocations guided by that policy.

¶ 11 Finally, our Budget addresses root social injustices, particularly through economic democracy, to reduce crime at its source. We do not believe prisons should expand as the country develops; rather, crime should reduce, prison numbers decline, and economic democracy should address underlying causes. I urge the House to look beyond mere figures and consider the rationale behind this Budget. Thank you for the time.