Jayasekara wants to revive 4-year review process

Premalal Jayasekara

SLPP Parliamentarian Premalal Jayasekara said, he will request the Government to revive the four-year behavioural conduct review process accorded to prisoners.

He said he will shortly submit a proposal to this effect in Parliament.

Jayasekara, who is presently on death row, after being convicted of homicide, claimed that once the four-year review process is reactivated, those who are on death row would have recourse to turn the death penalty into a life-term. He further claimed that those who are serving life terms would have their term reduced to 20 years. Jayasekara opined that those who are serving a 20-year prison term would have further recourse to reduce the term to 13½ years.

He said that many inmates at the Welikada Prison had urged him to intervene on their behalf to request the Government to re-launch the four-year review process.

He mentioned that on humane grounds, the Government should seriously consider restarting the said process on behalf of the prisoners.

Jayasekara also claimed that surveys conducted had revealed that some 98 prisoners who had been released to society had begun to lead decent lives without resorting to vices or acts of violence.

(Source: Ceylon Today – By W.K. Prasad Manju)