By Vipula Wanigasekera –

Dr. Vipula Wanigasekera

Today’s decision to grant bail to former president Ranil Wickremesinghe has defused some of the political tension building around his arrest. Yet the episode has drawn renewed attention to a long-standing question: why does the very thought of Sri Lankan remand custody inspire such fear, across all layers of society?

In principle, remand detention is not intended as punishment. Those held in custody are legally presumed innocent, awaiting trial or bail. Yet in Sri Lanka, the reputation of remand prisons is so negative that many accused individuals — whether ordinary citizens or public figures — do everything possible to avoid them. Appeals for bail are made urgently, and transfers to hospital are sometimes sought on contested medical grounds. The issue is less about guilt or innocence than about the conditions within the system itself.

The single greatest concern is overcrowding. Human rights organisations and former detainees alike describe remand facilities as packed far beyond their intended capacity. Limited space forces inmates to share mats or even take turns lying down. Sanitation is stretched to its limits, with inadequate access to toilets and clean water. Such conditions create fertile ground for communicable diseases, particularly skin and respiratory infections.

Access to medical care remains a critical challenge. While prison hospitals exist, resources are scarce and treatment delays are routine. Nutrition is another area of neglect: meals are often described as insufficient in both quality and quantity, with families expected to supplement food during visits. For detainees without family support, this creates serious disadvantage.

The psychological burden is equally severe. Trial delays in Sri Lanka mean that individuals may remain in custody for months or years, sometimes longer than the eventual sentence if convicted. The uncertainty, loss of livelihood, and social stigma are deeply damaging. For high-profile figures, public humiliation adds yet another layer of distress.

By global standards, Sri Lanka’s system falls short. The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Mandela Rules) emphasise that detainees awaiting trial must be treated with dignity, with proper healthcare, adequate space, decent food, and maintained links to the outside world. Crucially, remand detention must not carry punitive conditions, since the accused are not yet proven guilty. Sri Lanka’s reality diverges significantly from these principles — and that is the root of the fear surrounding its remand prisons.

Yet successive governments have largely overlooked this dimension of justice. No head of state has made a serious effort to upgrade remand prisons in line with international norms, so that those awaiting trial can stay with dignity until their cases are resolved.

Addressing these gaps will require systemic reform: investing in prison infrastructure, expanding medical facilities, easing overcrowding through non-custodial alternatives like electronic monitoring, and streamlining judicial processes to reduce delays.

Ultimately, the fear of Sri Lankan remand prisons is not about temporary detention itself but about the harsh conditions attached to it. Until serious reforms are undertaken, the instinct to fight for bail or hospitalisation will remain a rational response to a system seen as punitive long before guilt is established.

*Writer is a former Diplomat & Head of Tourism Authority and currently a Lecturer, Author, Youtuber, Meditation and Reiki Healer