Sri Lanka, Sept. 30 -- A total of 39 children are currently living with their mothers in 10 prisons across Sri Lanka, the Prisons Department reported.

Prisons Commissioner Jagath Weerasinghe said that while the issue may seem minor, it is a serious concern at the national level. Of the 39 children, 17 are boys and 22 are girls.

The children are housed in the following prisons: Welikada (16), Agunakolapelessa (4), Anuradhapura (1), Trincomalee (3), Kalutara (6), Batticaloa (2), Negombo (4), Badulla (1), Wariyapola (1) and Jaffna (1).

There are currently 1,529 female inmates across the country, including 225 convicted prisoners and 1,304 in remand custody. Among them, 19 women are on death row, while 24 have been sentenced to life impris...