The government has taken steps to amend the Community-Based Corrections Act with the aim of strengthening the supervision of offenders, introducing new procedures for community service orders and increasing fines for breaches of conditions.
The proposed amendment to the Community-Based Corrections Act No. 46 of 1999 was published in a Gazette notification issued on October 13, 2026.
Under the proposed legal provisions, courts will be required to refer eligible offenders to a community-based corrections officer. Before an offender decides whether to consent to a community-based corrections order, the relevant officer must explain the advantages and benefits of the order.
Offenders will be given a continuous period of 48 hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, to communicate their decision to the court.
The Bill also proposes increasing the maximum fine imposed under Section 14 of the existing Act from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 25,000.
Another key proposed change is the introduction of a revised schedule specifying the number of unpaid community service hours offenders must complete, based on the term of imprisonment or the amount of the fine imposed.
