Sri Lanka to convert hospital into prison after deadly riot
Army officers stand guard outside the Negombo prison on the outskirts of Colombo on July 7, 2026, following clashes between inmates of two drug gangs. (AFP)
Sri Lanka plans to open a new prison in a disused hospital building, the justice ministry announced on July 8 after a riot killed 20 inmates and eight guards at an overcrowded jail.
The deadly violence has intensified scrutiny of Sri Lanka’s chronically overcrowded jails, with official figures showing prisons were operating at roughly four times their intended capacity.
Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara issued an order to take over a section of the disused hospital in the island’s south to accommodate inmates from other facilities.
