Sri Lanka, Oct. 22 -- The number of inmates in Sri Lanka's prisons has declined significantly following measures taken to ease prison overcrowding, Minister of Justice and National Integration Harshana Nanayakkara stated.

According to the Minister, the prison population, which stood at 41,993 as of July 1, 2026 had dropped to 36,925 by September 30, 2026.

He made these remarks while speaking in Parliament today (22).

The Minister said the Government had accelerated the issuance of Government Analyst's reports by filling vacancies and strengthening the staff of the relevant department, addressing delays that had been a major factor contributing to prison overcrowding.

He noted that a total of 1,506 Government Analyst's reports had bee...