Justice Minister listens to woes of prisoners; good behaviour to be rewarded

A mechanism where prisoners with good behavioral record be allowed to go home for a week and return to jail is to be introduced, Justice Minister Ali Sabry said today (23).

He was speaking to journalists after a visit to the Welikada Prison where he met with a group of prisoners involved in a protest demanding that their prison term be reduced.

The prisoners and the minister discussed on issues such as delays in appealing, reducing the punishments for good behavior, rehabilitation procedure and to have one methodology for all prisoners to get general pardon.

Minister Sabry said that there were people who repeatedly do wrong and others who have done wrong only once, therefore such persons should be given a chance to correct their mistakes. He also assured that he would take quick action to resolve the issues with the advice of the President and requested the prisoners to end the protest. 

He said that according to the powers vested in him he could provide the prisoners with good behavior leave of a week, therefore he is willing to implement that law and take necessary action in that regard.