2. Accommodation Prisoners in Sri Lankan prisons are separated according to outdated national legislation, which is at variance with relevant international standards. While the segregation of males and females is strictly maintained, prisoners under eighteen years of age are held with prisoners up to the age of twenty-two, which is permitted by national legislation, which also recommends the segregation of persons from a socially influential background from other prisoners. Convicted prisoners are transferred to a prison based on whether they are first offenders or recidivists, although they often request to be held in prisons close to their hometown in order to be closer to their families. Ward conditions do not comply with accepted standards of space per prisoner, ventilation, lighting and temperature, and often amounted to inhuman living conditions. The primary cause of this was not only the overcrowding of virtually every institution, but also the dilapidated state of prisons as most of them were built decades ago. The crumbling roofs and walls in prison buildings constitute a threat to the lives of inmates and in the event of a natural disaster or calamity, the prison would not be able to respond in a swift and safe manner. Disaster management policies and evacuation protocols were absent in all prisons visited by the Commission. Elderly and prisoners with disabilities would hence potentially suffer the most harm in such an event. Such systemic issues were not only found in older prisons but also in recently built prisons, which fail to comply with international standards. The overcrowding of wards results in many new remandees standing all night-long as they do not have space to sleep, or being forced to sleep near or inside the toilet. Prisoners frequently complained of, which the Commission observed as well, a large number of mosquitoes and bedbugs as well as rats and pigeons inside the wards, which contributed to their distress and adversely affected their health as well. Conditions of the wards and other facilities are not regularly monitored by medical officers or public health inspectors, despite legal requirements. The lack of external and independent monitoring of prisons and the resultant action taken by the Ministry indicates a serious disregard for prisoners’ health and living conditions. Such conditions are conducive to the spread of illnesses among prisoners, which, in turn, impact the overburdened prison healthcare and transport system. 3. Food Prisoners from every prison except Anuradhapura Remand Prison complained about the quality of the food served to them, stating it was tasteless and watery and that often the rice was uncooked. The Commission observed that the reasons for the unsatisfactory quality of prisoners’ meals could be attributed to the unhygienic conditions of prison kitchens, where prepared food was often left open and exposed to spoilage, particularly due to the clogged drains and damp floors in kitchens that are ideal breeding ground for bacteria. Prisoners who engaged in hard labour at work camps and open prisons often complained that the quantity of food they received was inadequate. vi