Senaka Palletenna has been appointed the new Media Spokesperson of the Department of Prisons with effect from Sunday, taking on the role as the department manages the aftermath of a month of unrest across the prison system.
Palletenna has previously served as Superintendent of Mahara Prison and as Director of Training at the Department of Prisons. An alumnus of Richmond College, Galle, he holds a diploma in the study of drug abuse from the University of Colombo.
He has also completed a diploma course in correctional and rehabilitation management in Kerala, India, and undertaken diploma-level courses on drug abuse in several countries including India, Thailand, Malaysia, the Maldives and Turkey. His professional background is concentrated in drug abuse prevention, rehabilitation and correctional management.
A department under scrutiny
The appointment places a new official in the department’s most public-facing role at a difficult moment. Security remains in place at all 33 prisons nationwide under a joint mechanism of police, the Special Task Force and the tri-forces established on the President’s direction, following disturbances at several facilities.
Mahara Prison, where Palletenna previously served as superintendent, was itself the site of unrest on August 1 that left one inmate dead and destroyed the prison kitchen, hospital and rehabilitation workshops. Ada Derana’s report did not specify the period of his tenure there.
The Human Rights Commission has summoned senior prisons officials and the Inspector General of Police to appear on August 18 over the wave of clashes, and the government has said investigations are examining whether organised groups were behind them.
