Thousands of prisoners released 'to ease crowding in jails

[webfact]

Thousands of prisoners released 'to ease crowding in jails

By The Nation

 

Narat Sawettanan

 

The release of nearly 8,000 inmates in recent months is aimed at reducing the crowdedness inside prisons, Corrections Department director-general Narat Sawettanan said on Thursday (April 16).

 

Narat said that they were released gradually over six months. In October 2019, 1,261 were released, 1,167 in November, 1,317 in December, 1,377 in January, 903 in February, and 1,865 in March , totalling 7,890.

 

He said the release of those inmates was based on specific criteria: They must have already served two-thirds of the sentence and they must have shown excellent behaviour in order to be considered for early release, or,

 

they must have served one-third of the term and be elderly, aged 70 or older, or have some illness or disability. These people must undergo an assessment to evaluate their inability to take care of themselves and the tendency for repeated offences in order to be approved. However, relatives must sign an agreement to patronise them during the probation process until the end of the sentence.

 

However, if the offender repeatedly commits or violates the conditions, the suspension will be revoked and they will be sent back to prison for the remaining part of the sentence.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30386125

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-04-16

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[Jimbo2014]

With the government not able to find the money to pay unemployed people and 8000 criminals released into the community at once, we may expect a large spike in robberies and other crimes soon ????... more good news ????

[scubascuba3]

I've not heard of 1 case of corona in prison yet

[Assurancetourix]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Narat said that they were released gradually over six months. In October 2019, 1,261 were released, 1,167 in November, 1,317 in December, 1,377 in January, 903 in February, and 1,865 in March , totalling 7,890.

So it has nothing to do with the Covid-19 which was not even born in October 2019.
And it is much less than in France where the Minister of Justice, Mrs. Belloubet, has just released almost 10,000 prisoners in less than 15 days knowing that among these prisoners there are some Islamists who asked only that to be able go and brandish a knife in the street shouting "allah akbar"

[CGW]

They must have released the prison barber! 

Or just a bad hair day?

[Roy Baht]

2 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

I've not heard of 1 case of corona in prison yet

Have you asked all of your cellmates?

 

[Tony the turtle]

You wonder how many prisoners over seventy there are .... .????

[sammieuk1]

It could be a hair raising startled rabbit look that the inmates must adhere to that could prove difficult said 110 year old limbless bob???? 

[DrTuner]

7 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

I've not heard of 1 case of corona in prison yet

I guess we'll have to ask somebody who's got facebook full of convicts for the latest. Anybody? 

[daveAustin]

Fair play, and wonder how many in Thai prisons are wrongly convicted.

[PETERTHEEATER]

14 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

I've not heard of 1 case of corona in prison yet

They drank it already.

[Kerryd]

4 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Fair play, and wonder how many in Thai prisons are wrongly convicted.

I'd say not many. A few no doubt, but it's not like 90% of them are all innocent and were framed or anything.

Consider. In "the west" you could rob a bank in broad daylight in front of a dozen cameras, been seen by a dozen eyewitnesses, get caught with the money in one hand and a gun in the other and yet when you go to court what do you do ?

Plead "not guilty", try to drag the trail on for months/years and hope that your lawyer finds some tiny technicality to get you off or at the very least get a plea deal and reduced sentence. If all else fails, try the "mental health issue" angle and go for a "not criminally responsible due to being crazy" verdict.
There is zero incentive to pleading guilty (unless you are guilt ridden or really want to go to prison for some weird reason).

In Thailand however, if you get caught you have the opportunity to plead guilty right away. If you do so, you can expect to get half of what the maximum sentence would normally be. This is done as a kind of "thank you" for not tying up the courts and wasting the taxpayer's money on a trial.

However, you have the option of pleading not guilty. In which case you go to trial, your lawyers do all the normal stuff to try and prove it wasn't you, etc, etc and in the end, if you are found guilty, you can expect to get the maximum sentence for the crime(s) with no leniency.

Of course many Thais couldn't afford a decent lawyer or a prolonged trial but if you were facing life in prison for a crime you know you didn't commit I don't think you'd just give up and plead guilty and resign yourself to only doing 20 years or so instead of "life".

(Yeah, in Thailand a "life" sentence is a "life" sentence, not a 20 year one. People given the Death Penalty try to get it commuted to a "life" sentence and then hope that through a number of things, like appeals and annual Royal amnesties, that they can get the sentence reduced enough to get out of prison before they die. For foreigners, a Death Sentence is usually automatically commuted to a "life" sentence. For everyone else, the King usually grants an amnesty once a year and that often results in many Death Penalties being commuted to life sentences as well.)

Of course, if you have "money" you could make all those witnesses "forget" what they saw and the other evidence could disappear and then your lawyer could spin a good story and maybe get you released outright.
So not really that different from "the west" (some countries maybe) - so long as you've got money.

Thailand also has this thing where if you are charged with a crime you can put up bail and they release you from jail (or prison) so you can fight the charges (yes, I now other countries have bail as well, which can be denied or can be very expensive, usually at the sole discretion of a judge).
In Thailand though, even if you are being charged with murder or if you are appealing a conviction that you are currently in prison for, you can get bail and be released to fight those charges.

That's how Kamnan Pho escaped.
He was in prison for arranging to have a political rival murdered, serving a 25 year sentence. He appealed the conviction, paid a 10 million baht bail, was released and then disappeared. 
The appeal was denied and he was also found guilty of another charge and sentenced to another 5 years (and a bit) however he never showed up for those trials (having long since gone into hiding somewhere, possibly Cambodia).
The way the system works, if he'd stuck around for the appeal, he'd have gone back to prison when it was denied. However, because he was also charged in a corruption case (having to do with the construction of a garbage dump), he could have gotten bail (again) and been released to fight those charges.

(And yes, Kamnan Pho, aka The Godfather of Chon Buri, was (he died in 2013) the father of Ittipol Khumplome, 2 time Mayor of Pattaya, as well as his brother, Sontaya Khunplome, current Mayor of Pattaya and Wittaya Khunplome, the elected Member of Parliament for Chon Buri in addition to being the President of the Chon Buri Provincial Administration Organization. A 4th brother, Narongchai Khunplome, is the Mayor of Bang Saen or if you prefer, Saen Suk.
Note: Khunplome is spelt "Khunpluem"  in some translations.)

[Yadon Toploy]

45 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

And yes, Kamnan Pho, aka The Godfather of Chon Buri, was (he died in 2013) the father of Ittipol Khumplome, 2 time Mayor of Pattaya, as well as his brother, Sontaya Khunplome, current Mayor of Pattaya and Wittaya Khunplome, the elected Member of Parliament for Chon Buri in addition to being the President of the Chon Buri Provincial Administration Organization. A 4th brother, Narongchai Khunplome, is the Mayor of Bang Saen or if you prefer, Saen Suk.
Note: Khunplome is spelt "Khunpluem"  in some translations.)

All just thugs and gangsters in power here. I have to deal with some of them, real thick, inadequate and dangerous scumbags. 

 

And people wonder why I won't invest in anything here, the country is run by villains, and I won't let it be something I can't just walk away from, even after 30 years now. 

[ChipButty]

7 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Fair play, and wonder how many in Thai prisons are wrongly convicted.

All of them they are all innocent 

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

they must have served one-third of the term and be elderly, aged 70 or older, or have some illness or disability. These people must undergo an assessment to evaluate their inability to take care of themselves and the tendency for repeated offences in order to be approved

What a sad state of affairs.

Released into Gods waiting room.

[petermik]

23 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

I've not heard of 1 case of corona in prison yet

because their all in lockdown..........

[Road Warrior]

indeed a wise move !!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????????

[Susco]

10 minutes ago, Road Warrior said:

indeed a wise move !!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????????

It seems to be considered a wise move in most part of the world, including the most TV member's home countries, so why not in Thailand?

 

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=countries+that+early+release+prisoners+covid

 

https://www.vox.com/2020/4/3/21200832/jail-prison-early-release-coronavirus-covid-19-incarcerated

Edited April 17, 2020 by Susco

[Jimbo2014]

18 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

I've not heard of 1 case of corona in prison yet

Im sure they are testing all prisoners routinely as part of their regular health checks and social counseling ???? ????

[AhFarangJa]

Remind you of anyone.......................

[Number 6]

Better they release all over 60 than others for half fulfilled sentences. Murderers, thieves, larceny, assualt, assualt against women, children. Government embezzlers.

 

Second degree murder serves half sentence which was in affect supposed to be life... ok you're done.

 

[digger70]

On 4/16/2020 at 4:37 PM, scubascuba3 said:

I've not heard of 1 case of corona in prison yet

Just an Excuse to safe a few THB so they can spent that somewhere else.They  Must be low on Cash.

[connda]

On 4/16/2020 at 3:14 PM, webfact said:

However, relatives must sign an agreement to patronise them during the probation process until the end of the sentence.

A probation process that is less stringent then that imposed on expats residing in the country on a Non-Immigrant visa.  The former eventually is considered to not be a risk to Thai national security and the probation and reporting is ended; the later is always and ever considered to a risk to Thai national security and their 'probation' is never ended.

[Broeno]

On 4/16/2020 at 11:37 AM, scubascuba3 said:

I've not heard of 1 case of corona in prison yet

Because they don't say anything about it.

[Bell1234]

What could go wrong ermmmmm