Minister of Justice and Law Reforms Milinda Moragoda has appointed former diplomat Nanda Godage to head the Board of Prison Visitors. Rajan Asiriwatham, Arjun Deraniyagala, H. G. Dharmadasa and Imtiyas Ismail were also appointed to the Board as members, a press release issued by the Ministry of Justice and Law Reforms said yesterday.


According to the Prisons Act, the Board of Prison Visitors has full powers to visit prisons at any time and shall have free access to any part of the prison or to any prisoner therein, as well as the right to inspect the premises, equipment, or diet provided for the prisoners. The Board is also empowered to inquire into the general conditions in prisons as well as the treatment of prison inmates. In addition, every member of the Committee is entitled to record in the log-book any observations or statement of facts discovered by him or her in the course of any inspection or inquiry.


The Board reports directly to the Minister on the conditions of the prisons, which fall under the administration of the Prisons Department which administers over 25 prisons island wide as well as to ensure that the basic rights of prisoners are being respected, the release said.