Prisoner Amnesty

[ponder]

I have a friend who is in prison, and I was wondering whether anyone might have information about when the next prisoner amnesty is likely to be granted. My friend has been in prison since April 2016 and is due for release October 2018 if no amnesty is granted.

Edited December 15, 2017 by ponder

[darksidedog]

The problem with amnesties are no one ever knows when they are coming along, how generous they will be, or even if you will be eligible at all. Last year there were two, so far this year none. Aside from when it will occur, is if your friend will benefit. To be eligible, you need to have a "class." This goes from standard, to good to excellent. The better your class, the higher the percentage off you get when the "Apai" comes round. To get a class, your case must be final, so appeals are finished and its a minimum of 6 months from that point to get a class. If he was sentenced April 2016, he should now have a class of either standard or good, giving him in all probability a 1 in 5 or 1 in 6 reduction at an amnesty. However, in the last one, those on a first time offence with a sentence of under 4 years, having served a year or more, with a class, were given automatic release. Additionally, certain offences, such as sexual, tend to not receive amnesty, though again, this is not universal. The whole thing is a lottery.

It is quite a cruel and inhumane system. People with the same sentence can serve vastly different periods depending on what time of year they were sentenced and if the Amnesties were well timed.

I have been a prison visitor for 10 years and have been to three different prisons this week. Please feel free to message me, if you would like to discuss details in private. My best guess is if luck holds out, he will be released as soon as the next amnesty rolls along, but it is anyone's guess when that might be. Normally special occasions like Mothers Day or Fathers Day, but you never know.

[evadgib]

Furthermore it can take up to 3 months from the date of publication for details to reach prisons authorizing the actual release.

[Scouse123]

On 15/12/2017 at 3:52 PM, darksidedog said:

The problem with amnesties are no one ever knows when they are coming along, how generous they will be, or even if you will be eligible at all. Last year there were two, so far this year none. Aside from when it will occur, is if your friend will benefit. To be eligible, you need to have a "class." This goes from standard, to good to excellent. The better your class, the higher the percentage off you get when the "Apai" comes round. To get a class, your case must be final, so appeals are finished and its a minimum of 6 months from that point to get a class. If he was sentenced April 2016, he should now have a class of either standard or good, giving him in all probability a 1 in 5 or 1 in 6 reduction at an amnesty. However, in the last one, those on a first time offence with a sentence of under 4 years, having served a year or more, with a class, were given automatic release. Additionally, certain offences, such as sexual, tend to not receive amnesty, though again, this is not universal. The whole thing is a lottery.

It is quite a cruel and inhumane system. People with the same sentence can serve vastly different periods depending on what time of year they were sentenced and if the Amnesties were well timed.

I have been a prison visitor for 10 years and have been to three different prisons this week. Please feel free to message me, if you would like to discuss details in private. My best guess is if luck holds out, he will be released as soon as the next amnesty rolls along, but it is anyone's guess when that might be. Normally special occasions like Mothers Day or Fathers Day, but you never know.

 

Good well informed post.

 

However, the ' classes ' were in six categories; and are very bad, bad, standard, good, very good, excellent. Sentence reductions do not start until at least standard class.A review is done every six months. Sexual offenses do receive amnesties, the most difficult amnesties to receive are for drug offenses which are classed in their eyes as worse than murder or sex offenses. It does get complicated because, for example, if it was a murder case, what were the reasons? Was there a weapon used? Was it within the family? Was it unprovoked? All these things are looked at separately in the calculation and different amnesties apply. Also, if a person is in prison as a repeat offender for the same type of offense, no amnesty is given.

 

It is very true that amnesties are indeed a ' lottery ' and no two are the same but I think this has much to do with the actual needs and wishes of the corrections departments and overcrowding in the prisons. All governments in Thailand are loathed to give much amnesty in drug cases as they do not wish to appear to the outside world to be soft on drugs.

 

I should imagine, based on my experience of these matters, the next one of any consequence will be at the new Kings coronation. Amnesties are given and used as a rule for joyous occasions for the nation.

 

evadgib. I do think you may be mistaken slightly, it doesn't take three months to reach the prisons from publication, it allows three months for the prisons to implement the Royal Decree.

[DefaultName]

Possibly the Coronation, though when that will be is anybody's guess.

[evadgib]

1 hour ago, Scouse123 said:

evadgib. I do think you may be mistaken slightly, it doesn't take three months to reach the prisons from publication, it allows three months for the prisons to implement the Royal Decree.

My point was that the doors won't fly open as soon as the newsreader turns off his microphone 

[Scouse123]

Hahahaha,

Yeah, you're right on that one!!! [emoji23]


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

[fuzzie]

All royals can grant an Apai (forgive forget) Drug cases not always, Royal Birthdays and happy occasions for thais..

[ponder]

Thanks to everyone for the helpful responses. My friend is in prison for a drugs offence, but I think that the amnesties usually exclude only drug traffickers , as a lot of prisoners were released from the drug rehabilitation unit in Klong Prem (where my friend is) on the occasion of the last amnesty; however, I suppose the conditions of each amnesty can vary. 

[Scouse123]

Yes and it depends what he was convicted of, using, ( least serious ) selling or caught selling with intent to supply further.

 

They carry very different sentences and especially with regards to the quantities.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

 

[William T]

A gogo girl i know (not my girlfriend) was caught with 1 gram of Ya Ice. I was informed that 1gram or more is looked on as  dealing. She was taken to Nong Palai on 13 June 2016. She was sentenced to 4 years , reduced to 2 years for pleading guilty. Is due to be released on 28th July 2018. Her first offence as far as i know. She would be 25 years old.

An ex Thai boyfriend went to see the probation (?) officer in Feb this year and paid 2000 baht fee.,He was then told she was too late to be among the 20% being considered for release but for another 2000 baht she would be put on the list. I paid. Anyway she is still inside. I used to give him money to take to her but in May 2017 he left the area.

 

Any idea if she will be considered for release.

 

Edited December 17, 2017 by William T

[ponder]

I think it will depend on her prisoner class (see earlier post by Scouse123). I have been told by Klong Prem authorities that my friend is now class "very good", soon to be upgraded to "excellent", so he should be among the eligible ones if there is an amnesty. 

[ponder]

This information may be out-of-date, but I found the following on the internet regarding sentence reduction according to prisoner class:

 

Excellent     5 days per month

Very good   4 days per month

good            3 days per month

It is not very much (only about two months per year even for "excellent" prisoners), but it is better than nothing, I suppose.

 

 

[William T]

I thought the new (army) government was concerned about the amount of young people being locked up for minor drug offences were proposing to look at other ways.