Sri Lanka, Oct. 22 -- Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara said today that the number of inmates in Sri Lankan prisons has declined following measures introduced to expedite the issuance of Government Analyst reports related to drug cases.

Addressing Parliament, the Minister said the prison population had decreased from 41,993 on July 1, 2026, to 36,925 by September 30, 2026, following the implementation of the new measures.

He revealed that a total of 17,506 Government Analyst reports related to drug cases had been issued during August and September as part of efforts to ease prison overcrowding.

The Minister made these remarks during the parliamentary debate on the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs (Amendm...