August 17, Colombo (LNW): A total of 1,178 inmates escaped from prisons across Sri Lanka between 2019 and 2025, according to figures contained in a report compiled by the Department of Prisons.
The data shows that the number of prison escapes fluctuated considerably during the period. There were 153 reported escapes in 2019, followed by 110 in 2020 and 103 in 2021. The figure then climbed sharply to 231 in 2022 before falling to 207 in 2023, 188 in 2024 and 186 last year.
Of the 1,178 prisoners reported to have escaped, 474 have subsequently been apprehended. However, records indicate that 734 remain at large, raising renewed questions about security arrangements and the effectiveness of efforts to track down escapees.
The figures have emerged as the Government faces wider concerns over overcrowding, delays in the judicial process and other long-standing challenges within the prison system.
The Government has said measures are being pursued to address these issues and improve the administration of justice. Among the proposed reforms is a plan for the Court of Appeal to conduct sittings in the provinces once the proposed 22nd Constitutional Amendment comes into effect.
Authorities have also pledged to increase the number of judges in an effort to reduce the backlog of cases and accelerate court proceedings.
The Government says these reforms are expected to ease pressure on the country’s prisons by helping cases move through the judicial system more quickly, while also addressing some of the structural problems contributing to prolonged incarceration.
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