Over thousand prisoners in death row

by S.M. Wijayaratne, Kurunegala Cor.

The latest records of the Department of Prisons, confirm that 1,007 prisoners are sentenced to capital punishment and they are now housed at Welikada, Dumbara, Mahara and Badulla prisons.

Of these prisoners, 550 prisoners are to be hanged while the rest of prisoners have already appealed for relief in their sentences by way of pleading mercy.

Taking this plight into account, the Ministry of education has expanded its counselling programs for senior students of government schools in the Kurunegala District to educate students and parents on evils of drinking liquor and engaging in anti-social activitiesOver 460 delinquents too are reported undergoing jail sentences and they are to be rehabilitated and socialised by engaging in useful self-employment ventures.

Many adoloscents are subjected to commit anti-government activities by anti-social elements and thereby these innocent adoloscents have become criminals said the Divisional Secretary of the Kurunegala District W.E. Jayathilake at a conference of school heads and parents held recently at Bingiriya youth Training Centre.