was informed by prison officers that the body scanner in CRP is used to check prisoners from WCP and NMRP who are suspected of carrying contraband who are sent to CRP to be checked by the body scanner. The officers reported that an inmate may thereafter be sent to the Welikada PH, where a medical practitioner would administer medication to assist in releasing any contraband lodged in the inmate’s body cavity. Such prisoners are allegedly placed inside the cells found in the Welikada PH and not housed in wards. 6.3. Body cavity searches Inmates allege that even when machines are used, they have to encounter various forms of inhumane and degrading treatment. For example, an inmate of MCP stated: “I was sent through that machine three times consecutively. They ask to stretch my fingers, they place their hand on my chest, they ask me to squat, afterwards, now it isn’t there, but if the machine couldn’t detect they would stick their fingers in the rectum.” Complaints were received by the Commission about body searches especially with regard to officers searching the rectum of a prisoner; these complaints were mostly against the Prison Police in NMRP, PCP and ACP. Almost all complaints regarding body searches in those places were related to strip searches and body cavity searches. An inmate from NMRP has complained that: “When we return from courts, at the place where searches are done near the prison gate, we feel very uncomfortable. During the search, the rectum is searched at which point I feel extremely embarrassed and uncomfortable. If we hesitate to show, we are beaten and they forcefully do what they want.” An inmate from PCP alleged that certain prison police officers use unhygienic methods in searching the rectum, whereby they insert pens and the same pen is often used to search inside the rectum of several prisoners. He stated: “Have to face lot of trouble during the body search when entering prison after outside work [Work Party]. The prison police remove our clothes and even search the rectum in an unhygienic manner. Some officers even insert pens and search. The same pen is used for all.” When allegations that the Prison Police carried out body searches in a degrading manner, for instance that pens were inserted into the rectum in intrusive body cavity searches, were raised during a meeting51 with the SP of PCP, he stated that this no longer happens, and officers have been advised not to harm the dignity of an inmate during a body search. Numerous complaints were received from ACP about invasive, painful and potentially medically harmful methods being used to conduct cavity searches, such as using pipes to invade body cavities. This process was alleged to include degrading treatment, such as asking 51 Meeting with Senarath Bandara, Superintendent, Pallekele Closed Prison (Human Rights Commission, Sri Lanka, 20 June 2018) 52