Thai Prisons Bursting At Seams, Reforms Needed: Panel

By Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

 

Photo: Felix Kästle / Dpa

 

BANGKOK — Thai prisons are overcrowded and alternatives to detention  are needed, according to the kingdom’s top gaoler.

 

Despite a population of only about 70 million, the kingdom has the world’s sixth largest prison population. Solving the overcrowding problem requires alternative approaches and systemic changes throughout the justice system, from police and prosecutors up through the courts and prison system, Corrections Department chief Naras Savestanan said Saturday at a discussion hosted by his agency in the capital.

 

Full story:  http://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/2018/06/03/thai-prisons-are-bursting-at-seams-reforms-needed-panel/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-06-04

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

according to the kingdom’s top gaoler.

 

Top gaoler hey ?? 

How do they decide who is top gaoler !! 

Is it like employee of the month, at a Tesco store ?

It's just as well most of the affluent and connected miscreants don't get incarcerated, then the problem would be a hell of a lot worse !

Have to say this... bring back the death penalty for heinous crimes that were committed and the guilty proven guilty beyond the shadow of a doubt.

 

No consequence societies end up bottle necked in crime as is proven by this article.

 

Then tackle the reprehensible driving...

16 minutes ago, webfact said:

Solving the overcrowding problem requires alternative approaches and systemic changes throughout the justice system,

A good place to start might be decriminalizing expression of political views and abandoning the stunningly inappropriate 30 year sentencing of mushroom pickers.

Why the use of the word Gaoler in the article ?  Its not even used in Britain/Australia anymore, having shifted to Jail.

23 minutes ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

Top gaoler hey ?? 

How do they decide who is top gaoler !! 

Is it like employee of the month, at a Tesco store ?

 

Probably his job title is a bit of a clue "Corrections Department chief "

Just now, NetJunkie said:

 

Probably his job title is a bit of a clue "Corrections Department chief "

 

You're a bundle of laughs aren't you !!!

 

The prisons are full of poor people or critics of the Government.

Just build more prisons to house the bad Somchai's.

Use the prison population to build them, chain gang style.

 

 

2 minutes ago, mikebell said:

The prisons are full of poor people or critics of the Government.

No they are not

some yes,  full of them no. total BS

Just imagine how much more over crowded prisons would be if they actually subjected wealthy and influential criminals to the law


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They could build a wall around Bangkok.

3 minutes ago, Darcula said:

They could build a wall around Bangkok.

 

Or build more prisons.

 

 

Going off the old stats on http://www.thaiprisonlife.com It would be appear that well over 50% of those incarcerated, are there for drug offences.

This seems like another good reason for the government to ease up on the drug laws. 

How about stop jailing innocent people?  Sorry, forgot my meds this morning. 

 
Or build more prisons.
 
 

They could rival the USA for incarcerating folk , particularly those without a good lawyer


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

Easy.

1. Put rich people in prison.

2. Free poor people.

Done

9 minutes ago, Anak Nakal said:

Easy.

1. Put rich people in prison.

2. Free poor people.

Done

So it's ok for poor people to come, maybe kill, rape, assault, rob, your family

and you,  what ever next !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Most people are in prison because they are bad people,  who broke the Law as the law is today. ( could change a few laws )

Make bigger, harder prisons, to house all the bad people,  its all they truly understand.

 

New slogan

Bad guys in jail, Good guys Don't need Jail.

 

This is a result of the recent "Crack-down culture". The more laws you put on the books and enforce, the larger your prison population will be. I know I am American and we have the largest percentage of our population behind bars and that does not count people on probation and parole who also have to be monitored. Let's hope Thailand does not do what the US has done and usher in a prison-industrial complex. Prisoners become a commodity.

 

1 hour ago, stanleycoin said:

No they are not

some yes,  full of them no. total BS

No it isn't. 

A very small number of wealthy people go to prison. The vast majority come from low economic backgrounds and abusive or alcoholic or drug addicted families. It is actually a fact around the world. There are thousands of articles about it. A criminal child from a wealthy family is much more likely to get a suspended sentence or home detention, simply because the judge thinks the wealthy youth would not cope. The rich almost always get bail even for serious crimes such as murder. The whole of society is dedicated to the wellbeing of the rich with a few bones to pick for the poor. 

Wake up. 

1 hour ago, Darcula said:

They could build a wall around Bangkok.

Or just around temples.

 

I've read before that 70% of the Thai prison population is there on drug charges.

So the answer is simple:  Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs and stop throwing users into jail

53 minutes ago, markaoffy said:

They could rival the USA for incarcerating folk , particularly those without a good lawyer
 

Lawyers - the best justice money can buy.

 

11 minutes ago, stanleycoin said:

So it's ok for poor people to come, maybe kill, rape, assault, rob, your family

and you,  what ever next !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Most people are in prison because they are bad people,  who broke the Law as the law is today. ( could change a few laws )

Make bigger, harder prisons, to house all the bad people,  its all they truly understand.

 

New slogan

Bad guys in jail, Good guys Don't need Jail.

 

Many are designed to specifically benefit the rich. 

Why is it legal to have 3 martinis after work, and drive home but illegal to smoke kratom.

Why is that the poor must diligently pay their taxes, whilst the rich have created loopholes to bypass their taxes. 

The rich break laws all the time but they are protected by the system that they have created for themselves. 

16 minutes ago, jingjai9 said:

This is a result of the recent "Crack-down culture". The more laws you put on the books and enforce, the larger your prison population will be. I know I am American and we have the largest percentage of our population behind bars and that does not count people on probation and parole who also have to be monitored. Let's hope Thailand does not do what the US has done and usher in a prison-industrial complex. Prisoners become a commodity.

 

Yes prisoners are people also.

2 hours ago, LazySlipper said:

Have to say this... bring back the death penalty for heinous crimes that were committed and the guilty proven guilty beyond the shadow of a doubt.

 

No consequence societies end up bottle necked in crime as is proven by this article.

 

Then tackle the reprehensible driving...

Is that executing the ones that are obviously not guilty and those cases doubt is very strong?

And of course there must also be a division between rich and poor.

Would not want to be in a Thai prison.

But, I met a guy recently at a sports bar who shared with me he had spent time in a Thai prison for assault.

He explained that it is not all terrible if you have money. Protection, a shower and clean clothes, an actual bunk to sleep on, order a pizza or burger, access to phones and computers, etc.  All available for a price.

2 hours ago, stanleycoin said:

2 hours ago, mikebell said:

The prisons are full of poor people or critics of the Government.

No they are not

some yes,  full of them no. total BS

 

Poor people, yes. Critics of the government , no. So it's only half BS, stanley, not 'total' ☺️

 

Much as I disapprove of a military junta seizing power with a coup and then running the country with - to say the least - questionable abilities in the realm of politics, economics, sociology, psychology etc, I am always astounded by the way most Westerners (especially those who know virtually nothing about Thailand) seem to view the situation here, and are so willing to compare it with, say, Chile under Pinochet.

 

YES, it's a military rule, and NO, it has NOTHING in common with Pinochet, or Marcos, or Idi Amin, Mao, Stalin or Fidel Castro's regimes. Thai prisons are NOT full of political opponents, people are NOT kidnapped in the middle of the night and tortured for expressing dissent, Thai citizens are NOT afraid to say what they think to their family and friends because they know it takes a lot more to get arrested.

 

This almost systematic distortion of reality, in most Western media and thus Western minds, says a lot not about Thailand, but about the manipulative power of the media and how easily we can be fooled into confusing opinion with fact.

 

When reality is being so grossly, deliberately and repeatedly distorted, one must question who benefits the most from such manipulation.

 

 

22 minutes ago, greenchair said:

Many are designed to specifically benefit the rich. 

Why is it legal to have 3 martinis after work, and drive home but illegal to smoke kratom.

Why is that the poor must diligently pay their taxes, whilst the rich have created loopholes to bypass their taxes. 

The rich break laws all the time but they are protected by the system that they have created for themselves. 

Your just belly aching.  his richer than me BS !!!!!