THE DAILY AVERAGE NUMBER OF FEMALE PRISONERS IN SRI LANKA IS APPROXIMATELY 200. OF THIS NUMBER, APPROXIMATELY 75 ARE CONVICTED PRISONERS, WHILE THE OTHERS ARE AWAITING TRIAL. WHEN COMPARED WITH AN AVERAGE DAILY TOTAL PRISON POPULATION OF 12,000, ABOUT 6,000 OF WHICH ARE AWAITING TRIAL, THE NUMBER OF FEMALE PRISONERS IS VERY SMALL. ALL UNCONVICTED WOMEN ARE DETAINED IN SEPARATE AND SEGREGATED SECTIONS OF THE MAIN PRISONS LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. ALL THE ADMINISTRATIVE WORK IS DONE BY FEMALE OFFICERS, AND NO MALE OFFICER IS PERMITTED TO PERFORM ANY DUTY IN ANY OF THE FEMALE SECTIONS OF THE PRISONS. SINCE THE NUMBER OF CONVICTED WOMEN IN THE LOCAL PRISONS IS SO SMALL, THEY CAN ONLY BE EMPLOYED IN DOMESTIC WORK, SUCH AS CLEANING AND SWEEPING THEIR SECTIONS. IN THE FEMALE SECTION AT THE WELIKADE PRISON, WHICH HOUSES THE LARGEST NUMBER OF WOMEN, SHORT-TERM WOMEN PRISONERS ARE EMPLOYED IN SWEEPING AND MAINTENANCE, WHILE LONG-TERM PRISONERS ARE GIVEN VOCATIONAL TRAINING IN MAT-WEAVING AND TAILORING. AFTER NORMAL WORKING HOURS, VARIOUS RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND RELIGIOUS COUNSELING AND SERVICES ARE PROVIDED. THE BREAKDOWN OF THE FEMALE PRISON POPULATION BY OFFENSE ON ANY GIVEN DATE, SHOWED THAT THE LARGEST NUMBER WERE CONVICTED FOR PROSTITUTION, AND PETTY THEFT WAS THE SECOND MOST COMMON OFFENSE. ALL WOMEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER HAVE THEIR SENTENCES COMMUTED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT. IT IS NOTED THAT AN UNUSUAL PHENOMENON IN THE SRI LANKA PRISONS IS TO FIND FEMALE PRISONERS SUCKLING THEIR BABIES. THIS IS BECAUSE JUDGES TEND TO ADMIT CHILDREN WITH THEIR MOTHERS IN CASES WHERE BABIES ARE BEING BREAST FED. THERE IS REMISSION OF ONE-THIRD OF THE SENTENCE FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR FOR BOTH FEMALE AND MALE PRISONERS. TABLES SHOWING THE DATA ON PRISON POPULATION, TYPE OF OFFENSE, AND LENGTH OF SENTENCE ARE INCLUDED. (RCB)