Director, National Dangerous Drugs Control 20 September 2018 Board Chairperson, Legal Aid Commission 24 August 2018 Programme Coordinator, National STD/AIDS 7 September 2018 Control Programme United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime 21 September 2018 (UNODC) Public Health Inspector 1 April 2019 CSOs: Centre for Human Rights and Development Lawyers for Human Rights and Development 23 August 2018 21 August 2018 5. Pilot study A pilot study was conducted at Kalutara Remand Prison, an institution which was not part of the sample of institutions, in order to test the devised methodology and research methods. The results of the pilot study were used to further refine the interviews, questionnaires and overall prison visit procedure. Results obtained during the pilot study were not included in the data analysis. 6. Findings & recommendations The findings and recommendations of this study aim to address the knowledge gap on and increase general understanding of the prison system, as well as highlight the shortcomings of the existing structural, legal and policy frameworks. It is hoped that the findings of this study will lead to the formulation and implementation of better practices and policies, which protect and promote the rights of prisoners and strengthen the correctional system, including through focusing on the issues faced by the officers working within the correctional system. 7. Human rights awareness programmes During the course of this study a number of Superintendents and prison officers requested the Commission to conduct human rights awareness programmes to improve the officers’ understanding of the Commission’s mandate, the SMRs and fundamental rights enjoyed by prisoners. Accordingly, a series of human rights awareness programmes at each prison were initiated and to date have been held in three prisons. As part of this, the Commission has 16