Thailand’s overcrowded prison system a COVID-19 timebomb

[webfact]

Bangkok Remand Prison.(Photo by Jack TAYLOR / AFP)

 

By Thai PBS World’s Political Desk

 

Alarm is growing in Thailand after the Department of Corrections revealed that 2,835 COVID-19 cases had been found inside two major Bangkok prisons.

 

Critics are questioning the Department of Corrections’ measures to prevent the spread of the virus, while human rights groups are calling for inmates in “unnecessary custody” to be released.

 

Ten leaders of the anti-establishment movement are among the almost 3,000 people to have caught the virus behind bars, according to media reports. So far, three of these activists have been granted temporary release.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thailands-overcrowded-prison-system-a-covid-19-timebomb/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-05-14

 

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[pegman]

Too bad they only had 15 months or so warning this could happen.

[ikke1959]

And how many covid cases in other prisons all over the country?? I think it will be silenced. Let the truth not come out

[Cake Monster]

23 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

And how many covid cases in other prisons all over the country?? I think it will be silenced. Let the truth not come out

Its an odds on surety that there are more outbreaks in the Prisons than just these Two Prisons in BKK

the whole prison System is a huge Petri Dish for anything nasty.

[mark131v]

You really don't need to be Sherlock Holmes to work this out still nobody ever grouped Thai's in positions of authority and intelligence together for good reason, they regularly prove they are not very bright to stop us forgetting this fact which is nice of them...

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Critics are questioning the Department of Corrections’ measures to prevent the spread of the virus, while human rights groups are calling for inmates in “unnecessary custody” to be released.

15 months or so to prepare but hey... you know where we are right.

[John Drake]

Prisons. Another place that should probably receive vaccines before any sandbox does.

[PETERTHEEATER]

Quick! Place them in lockdown!

[zhounan]

20 minutes ago, John Drake said:

Prisons. Another place that should probably receive vaccines before any sandbox does.

 

 

[holy cow cm]

This ahs already happened prior. Just a new day and new outbreak. Didn't IDC also have outbreaks as well? Nothing will be done until AZ is out of the gases. Prisoners are undesirables. Sort of the same as us.

[ChipButty]

There are around 380,000 inmates around the country.
Thailand’s prisons are overpopulated by 145 per cent, according to the International Federation for Human Rights’s 2017 report titled Behind the walls – 

[RobMuir]

The B117 variant continues along it path of destruction.

 

I can't see it getting better before it gets a lot worse.

[pookondee]

3 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

There are around 380,000 inmates around the country.
Thailand’s prisons are overpopulated by 145 per cent, according to the International Federation for Human Rights’s 2017 report titled Behind the walls – 

 

I recall many years ago a Thai politician commenting about conditions in a Thai jail..

His comment summing it all up

" Its deigned to be a punishment, not a 4star hotel"

 

In Tasmania, Australia, people actually re-offend to get back into prison if they are homeless in the winter months. 

 

I guess with Covid now and Aussies not allowed to leave Australia,

 one might as well be in prison getting free healthcare, 3 meals a day and good internet.

[KhaoYai]

44 minutes ago, John Drake said:

Prisons. Another place that should probably receive vaccines before any sandbox does.

Agreed but its about time Thailand's prison system was reformed. People commit crimes and its right that they are punished for that crime. Its not right however that those people are put in danger by their incarceration.  By default, if you take away someone's liberty, thereby removing their ability to protect themselves, you have a duty of care to provide a safe and secure environment - you take on the protective role.

 

I've heard of 20 to 30 people packed into one room, that may be the extreme - no idea but multiple people in close proximity is never a good idea but in a Pandemic, its just madness.

 

Do they have isloation units for new inmates for example?  It seems not yet that should have been a basic requirement since the start of the Pandemic.

[ChipButty]

There has already been an outbreak a while back in Naratiwat prison out of the 2000 odd tested 127 were found positive 

[tgw]

4 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

Agreed but its about time Thailand's prison system was reformed. People commit crimes and its right that they are punished for that crime. Its not right however that those people are put in danger by their incarceration.  By default, if you take away someone's liberty, thereby removing their ability to protect themselves, you have a duty of care to provide a safe and secure environment - you take on the protective role.

 

I've heard of 20 to 30 people packed into one room, that may be the extreme - no idea but multiple people in close proximity is never a good idea but in a Pandemic, its just madness.

 

Do they have isloation units for new inmates for example?  It seems not yet that should have been a basic requirement since the start of the Pandemic.

 

I think in the list of priorities that it's IMMENSELY more important to ensure the police and courts system works properly, meaning guilty people get sentenced, dangerous people don't get let out and innocent people don't get put in jail. That's number one IMO before spending fortunes of taxpayer's money to "take on the protective role" in prisons.

Edited May 14, 2021 by tgw

[KhaoYai]

14 minutes ago, pookondee said:

His comment summing it all up

" Its deigned to be a punishment, not a 4star hotel"

The punishment is the removal of their liberty - something that most of us hold dearly. The people you describe who seem to want to get back into prison are most likely 'institutionalised' - that's actually a sad situation that needs to be tackled.

[KhaoYai]

1 minute ago, tgw said:

I think in the list of priorities that it's IMMENSELY more important to ensure the police and courts system works properly, meaning guilty people get sentenced, dangerous people don't get let out and innocent people don't get put in jail. That's number one IMO.

Well its a whole different discussion and not one to get into here but I don't really disagree, I just think people have a right to be safe.  A prisoner cannot prevent themselves from infection - his jailers take on that responsibility.  Whatever, their punishment is their time - not potential death.

[sungod]

1 hour ago, John Drake said:

Prisons. Another place that should probably receive vaccines before any sandbox does.

 

Ha, that will get them going on this forum.

 

Convicted murderers, child molesters, drug dealers vaccinated just before the farangs , who are marginally in front of the homeless!

[ikke1959]

30 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

Agreed but its about time Thailand's prison system was reformed. People commit crimes and its right that they are punished for that crime. Its not right however that those people are put in danger by their incarceration.  By default, if you take away someone's liberty, thereby removing their ability to protect themselves, you have a duty of care to provide a safe and secure environment - you take on the protective role.

 

I've heard of 20 to 30 people packed into one room, that may be the extreme - no idea but multiple people in close proximity is never a good idea but in a Pandemic, its just madness.

 

Do they have isloation units for new inmates for example?  It seems not yet that should have been a basic requirement since the start of the Pandemic.

INdeed some people need to be punished by lock up in prison, but in Thailand the only thing they shout all the time is a fine or so long in prison. I am wondering how many people there are in prison for only little offenses. The whole lese majestic law is an example of unnecessary lock up and so more, while some drugsdealers are walking free time after time because they pay the police and there are more examples of people who should not have been locked up

[Ventenio]

50 minutes ago, pookondee said:

" Its deigned to be a punishment, not a 4star hotel"

 

it's all relative, and has different meanings to different people.

 

punishment.  no food?  no water?  or no steak and no pepsi?  or force steak to a vegan, or lace the food with poison.  

 

sleep a little or no sleep.  shocked, or not shocked.  beaten or only a little beaten.  labor, or 15 hours of labor, or 20 hours a day.

 

there are TRILLIONS of different ways of this word "punishment" you use....

 

it's a nice quote, but whatever....

 

to me, punishment is beat them until they have 0.01% before death!!!!!  lol    keep him there for 19-years!!!!   make them learn not to do overstay!!!  

 

or forced to listen to fat expats talk about how they will change the world, get young girls, drink all day, and slobber some gravy down their face tattoos.  now that's real punishment!!!  

Edited May 14, 2021 by Ventenio

[bangon04]

"human rights groups are calling for inmates in “unnecessary custody” to be released."

 

Start with the 3000 infected inmates - let them have a late Songkran holiday and register for the vaccine (ahead of the dirty Farang).

[Joinaman]

3 hours ago, ChipButty said:

There are around 380,000 inmates around the country.
Thailand’s prisons are overpopulated by 145 per cent, according to the International Federation for Human Rights’s 2017 report titled Behind the walls – 

so 2,835 inmates with infection, but not deaths or ICUs, out of possible 390,000. make news ?

How many HIV infections in the prisons ?

Put them in lockdown  !

[Joinaman]

2 hours ago, ChipButty said:

There has already been an outbreak a while back in Naratiwat prison out of the 2000 odd tested 127 were found positive 

ok, so how many are in ICUs and how many died  ?

 

If nobody is dying or have trouble with the virus, the numbers of positives are rather immaterial !

[sabaay]

20 to 30 people in 1 room would be nice its more like 160people in 80sqm incl Toilettes,there is no way Prisons in Thailand can give a protection for covid even the seperate now new inmates for 2 weeks in a seperate room are also this don't work in real ist there covid in a Prison it will spread, in the rooms you sleep like a Fisch in a can with a distance of nothing between each other and also the Ventilation System Just help to spread it to everybody, all Pictures the Show in the Press about the protection for inmates are more less Setups there is most nothing the do exept take out the guards and let "trusty"inmates do the Job, it is a mess and believe me i know what im talking about because i was there and luckely got out before the <deleted> hits the Fan,and yeah the do hide the Numbers of infected inmates just take them out and who knows where the put them. Vaccines for inmates...yeah sure its not even easy to get a Paracetamol because there is no Money unless you have help from outside.

[Dogmatix]

7 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

And how many covid cases in other prisons all over the country?? I think it will be silenced. Let the truth not come out

 

The infections they revealed in the Bangkok Remand Prison were equivalent to 55% of the inmates and 23% of the women's prison.  It is pretty obvious that that if they test other prisons they are going to find a large number of cases.  Most likely they are already aware that priosoners and probably guards too are getting sick which must have also been the case in the two prisons they tested.

 

Next stop: The thai army. 

[Dogmatix]

5 hours ago, sungod said:

 

Ha, that will get them going on this forum.

 

Convicted murderers, child molesters, drug dealers vaccinated just before the farangs , who are marginally in front of the homeless!

 

Some of these categories are to be found in the cabinet not in prison. Please show them proper respect.

[sungod]

Just now, Dogmatix said:

 

Some of these categories are to be found in the cabinet not in prison. Please show them proper respect.

I think you find some of the fore mentioned categories  have been vaccinated already in this case.

[tgw]

7 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

Well its a whole different discussion and not one to get into here but I don't really disagree, I just think people have a right to be safe.  A prisoner cannot prevent themselves from infection - his jailers take on that responsibility.  Whatever, their punishment is their time - not potential death.

 

death is a possible sentence.