Rebuilding lives from behind bars

The second oldest prison in Sri Lanka, the Bogambara Prison can boast of many programmes that aim at equipping the inmates to take their place in society once again

The flowers in full bloom, the immaculately maintained gardens and the neat Budhu Medura, could easily convince you that you are in a beautiful botanical garden. Only the fortress-like wall surrounding these premises is a grim reminder that you are within the vast expanse of the Bogambara Prison.

Situated in the heart of Kandy town, Sri Lanka's second oldest prison, while functioning within the framework of the rules and regulations of the Prisons Department, seems to be taking every possible step to rehabilitate its inmates and make them acceptable citizens of society.

Spread out over nine acres, the Bogambara Prison was established in 1876, and run under the authority of British Superintendents until 1938, when the first Sri Lankan Superintendent took office. A landmark in Kandy, a World Heritage City, the solid age-old buildings on the premises have remained untouched over the decades.

Speaking to The Kandy Times last week, Prison Superintendent Nelson Abeydheera said, that the Bogambara Prison now houses almost 2,000 inmates. "We have 1396 inmates who are serving various sentences; 36 have received the death sentence, 109 are convicted inmates with pending appeals and there are 360 others under suspicion for various offences. In the remand unit there are 316 persons including 76 women.”

An average day at Bogambara begins at 6 a.m., with a head count of the inmates being done. They then leave their cells, to wash and prepare for the day. Breakfast and religious activities follow and by about 6.45 a.m., while all those due in court are taken there, the others begin their assigned jobs for the day, within their work groups.

They work from 6.45 a.m. to about 11 a.m., and then have their lunch break from 12-2 p.m., after which they continue working till about 4 p.m. Recreation involves exercise and sports while board games such as carrom, chess and checkers are provided in the evenings. Incidentally, the Bogambara prison won the All-Island Prisoners' Volleyball Tournament this year, from among about 32 teams.

Another highlight of the prison's recreational activities is the Kandyan dancing troupe of the Prisoner Welfare Society, which is made up of talented dancers, all of whom have been trained within the prison. Performing for cultural events organised by the government and public sector institutions, this successful troupe earned a considerable income for both the inmates as well as the prison until quite recently. Most of the dancers performed at the Kandy Esala Perehara, and have won Presidential awards as well. "People don't generally know that we have about 150 inmates, supervised by authorities, participating in the Dalada Perahera every year, carrying flags and so on," said Mr. Abeydheera. However, the troupe has now been suspended from taking part in public events.

As for the other vocational and recreational programmes available for the inmates, the list ranges from carpentry, steel work and masonry, to tailoring and weaving. Some were professionals at these crafts prior to being imprisoned and most have been trained by the vocational instructors, the Superintendent said.

"The inmates are talented and their creations including furniture and jewellery were displayed at an exhibition held in April this year. The products were sold almost immediately and we have got many orders as well," he added.

Religion is given foremost place within the prison, with religious programmes being held regularly. A sil programme for instance, is held every Poya day, with over 100 inmates and bana preachings and prayers are conducted by a Buddhist monk and Catholic priest every Sunday morning. "The Buddhist religious activity is being handled by 91-year-old Ven. Aluthgama Dhammananda Thera, of the Malwathu Chapter. He has been involved in this activity for the past 50 years," said Mr. Abeydheera .

"Another important event scheduled for October is a meditation programme for over 50 inmates which will run for 30 days. Even those convicted of murder and other crimes will be able to participate," said Mr. Abeydheera. At present, a number of inmates are observing the religious rites for Ramazan, with almost 200 of them fasting.

Yet another matter of interest for the public would be the fact that certain prisoners who are selected on the basis of good behaviour after having served one third of their sentence, are allowed to spend one week with their families, every six months. With most of these inmates being breadwinners, and their families facing much hardship in their absence, books and stationery weregiven to a large number of their children on Prisoners' Day which was celebrated on September 12, by the Bogambara Prison.

Among the educational programmes available, the computer-training programme affiliated to the Gurudeniya Education Institute seems quite comprehensive, with the inmates receiving a certificate at the end of the course. "The exam is held with the assistance of the Ministry of Education, and the most important fact is that the certificate does not state that the bearer was in prison at any point," Mr. Abeydheera said.

Any unforgettable experiences during his 35-year lprofessional career? "It will probably be the time when an inmate on the way back from court, had somehow got a hand grenade into his possession, and when he realised that one of our officers had discovered it, threw it just outside my office. Fortunately for all of us, it didn't explode, and it was eventually disposed without any harm being done," said Mr. Abeydheera, smiling at the recollection.

The biggest problem for those who pass through these walls, is that they are shunned by the rest of the world, even after they have served their sentence.

"To err is human. But the most important thing, we as a society can do, is to accept these people back among us, once they are out of prison. This is the only way to prevent them from committing offences once again and going through this process all over again," Mr. Abeydheera said, adding that this was the most important message he wants to convey to the public, on behalf of this group of our country's citizens.