NCJ Number
77077
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 24 Issue: 3 Dated: (1980) Pages: 244-248
Date Published
1980
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes a small correctional facility without guards in Sri Lanka.
Abstract
In addition to the establishment of open prison camps for long-term offenders at the closing stages of their terms of imprisonment and for short- and medium-term offenders within a few days of their imprisonment, the country has begun to locate up to 10 selected prisoners on a coconut estate which is not guarded. A retired prison officer is responsible only for estate management. While work-release inmates are required to spend the night in prison or in a work-release center, the 10 estate prisoners are allowed to live on the grounds. During the day, the men perform agricultural work -- weeding, beekeeping, and crop cultivation. After work, they are free to bathe in the river, visit the village temple, or go shopping. Each inmate receives pocket money while working; upon discharge, each receives a lump sum of money and, in some cases, tools for practicing a trade. Since the inmates are mainly from agricultural communities, the estate prepares them for the life to which they will return. Unsupervised visits by family members are allowed, and prison clothing is not issued. Furthermore, the camp is situated in a very backward village and has built up an excellent relationship with the members of the free community. Inmates perform various services for the village temple and help in improving roads and canals. The camp operates on profits from the sale of cash crops and is therefore far more economical than a closed prison. Of the 17 men who have completed their stay at the camp, none has committed a new crime; of the 37 inmates sent to the estate, 12 were removed as soon as they showed the first signs of making trouble. A table provides information on the inmates' prior occupations, crimes, sentences, and family status.