Common pardon for 1,312 prisoners  

A total of 1,312 prisoners have been granted a common pardon to mark Prisoners’ Welfare Day. According to the Commissioner General of Prisons Major General V.R. de Silva, the figure includes 37 females.  

<p>He disclosed that those who have been granted common pardon were from prisons from allover the island and serving varying lengths of imprisonment for various offences. However, those who are under death sentence for criminal offences will not be released.  The majority of inmates released are serve sentences for minor offences such being unable to pay fines imposed on them by courts.