By The Pulseline News Desk
The Government has moved to temporarily expand Sri Lanka’s prison capacity by reopening the Old Bogambara Prison in Kandy and establishing a new temporary prison at Mahamodara in Galle, following the closure of Negombo Prison following the recent unrest.
In a statement, the Ministry of Justice said Negombo Prison sustained extensive damage during the emergency situation on July 5 and 6, resulting in the facility being declared a crime scene. As investigations continue, the prison has been deemed unsuitable for housing inmates.
To facilitate criminal investigations, ensure the safety of prisoners and enable rehabilitation work to begin once inquiries are completed, the majority of inmates have been transferred to other prisons across the country.
However, the ministry said overcrowding at existing prisons and the need to safeguard inmate welfare have made it necessary to establish additional temporary prison facilities.
Accordingly, regulations have been issued under the Prisons Ordinance to temporarily designate the Mahara and Old Bogambara premises as prisons until the rehabilitation of Negombo Prison is completed.
The decision to re-establish the Old Bogambara Prison was formalised through an Extraordinary Gazette issued on July 8, 2026, by the Ministry of Justice and National Integration. The Gazette, signed by Minister Harshana Nanayakkara under Section 2 of the Prisons Ordinance (Chapter 54), declares the historic prison a facility with jurisdiction covering the whole of Sri Lanka.
Authorities said the move is intended to ease mounting pressure on the country’s prison system following a sharp increase in the inmate population.
Old Bogambara Prison, one of Sri Lanka’s oldest correctional facilities, operated for 138 years before it was closed in 2014, when inmates were transferred to Dumbara Prison in Pallekele.
In a separate Extraordinary Gazette, the Government also established a new temporary prison named Mahamodara in Galle under the same provisions of the Prisons Ordinance.
The Justice Ministry said the facility will operate from a section of the former Mahamodara Hospital, which is no longer in use, and will also have jurisdiction covering the whole of Sri Lanka.
The establishment of the temporary prisons forms part of the Government’s efforts to manage prison overcrowding while accommodating inmates displaced by the closure of Negombo Prison and maintaining the continuity of prison operations during the ongoing investigations and rehabilitation work.
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