Thon Buri prison chosen to pilot new inmate rules

[webfact]

Thon Buri prison chosen to pilot new inmate rules

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE NATION

 

 

BANGKOK: -- THAILAND is the first country in the world to embrace the United Nations’ Nelson Mandela Rules to improve the quality of life of prisoners, with Thon Buri Remand Prison chosen as the pilot prison.

 

The Corrections Department and Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ) launched the one-year pilot project at the remand prison in Bangkok’s Bang Bon district on Tuesday.

 

The fundamental principles of Nelson Mandela Rules include the protection of human rights and dignity of inmates, abolition of torture and inhumane punishment, and overall good treatment of prisoners.

 

It is the first code of good practice in the treatment of prisoners in 60 years. The last major UN revision was the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners in 1957. The rules are named after former South African president and prominent human rights defender Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years in prison for fighting apartheid.

 

The new rules will guide and improve prison management, said Somchai Sianglai, adviser to the minister of justice. Introducing best practices would not only benefit the inmates, but also help improve the reputation and performance of the Thai justice system, he added.

 

“We are proud that Thailand is the first country in the world to adopt this new standard of good prison management. It will benefit all of us, not just the prisoners, to improve the quality of life of the inmates and help them learn to come back to society as good people,” Somchai said.

 

TIJ director Kittipong Kittayarak noted that Thailand has the potential to improve prison management to meet the new UN standard, despite existing problems in the corrections system.

 

“There are problems in our correction systems, such as overcrowded prisons, poor quality of life of the inmates, and improper practices and punishment of prisoners. However, the UN’s Nelson Mandela Rules can help solve these problems and can return the prisoner back to society as a good person,” Kittipong said.

 

The old way of using punishment to shame prisoners had been proven not to transform criminals, said Kittipont. Instead, understanding and providing opportunities to help prisoners was the right way to proceed.

 

“Despite Thailand still facing an increasing number of prisoners, which has led to a problem of even more severely overcrowded prisons, we can improve the quality of life and protection of human rights and dignity of inmates,” he said.

 

Kittipong said that Thailand was already drafting new rules for prisons when it chose to be the first country to implement the Nelson Mandela Rules. As well, he noted, Thailand has a good reputation due to the Bangkok Rules for managing female inmates, which the international community has applauded.

 

 

Aryut Sinthopphan, the Corrections Department deputy director-general, said the Thon Buri Remand Prison, with its 5,726 inmates, was an ideal choice.

 

“During the one-year pilot project, the policy’s implementation within Thon Buri Remand Prison will be monitored and assessed to be a guideline for the other prisons in the country,” Aryut explained.

 

“Meanwhile, this prison will be made the learning centre for staff from other prisons to learn about UN Nelson Mandela Rules. If the implementation is a success, we will expand this project to the other prisons in Thailand.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30321572

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-07-24

[greenchair]

There are no penalties for the torture of prisoners. A criminal offence in most countries. 

Don't expect much improvement in the next 50 years. 

[ukrules]

I agree with the abolition of torture, this is a good step towards the dark ages and onwards !

 

In just a few hundred years time we might see something merely a couple of centuries behind most of the rest of the world as it stands in 2017.

[Dave67]

I'd imagine many Thais will be asking "Whats a Mandela?"

[colinneil]

Dignity of prisoners.

Thats a joke, when a prisoner goes to the toilet, the toilets are on a raised platform, no screens nothing.

So everyone can see what you are doing, that is dignity?

[Chang_paarp]

So Thailand's prison authorities are trumpeting that they are signing up to some standards that many other countries already have enshrined in law. A long way to go if they want to earn some respect as modern society.

[300sd]

“It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.” 
Nelson Mandela

[Dave67]

The Hub of quality Human rights according to TAT

[RichardColeman]

Some of the murdering, rapist scum in the Thai prisons should be left in the squalor. 

[sweatalot]

" Rules to improve the quality of life of prisoners, "

 

sounds like a good idea - 

but what about sending those to prison who belong there - like murderers and rapers (and keep them there)

and not send people to prison who do not belong there - like mushroom pickers or people

whose legal actions abroad are considered criminal in Thailand and imprisoned for about a century

[ratcatcher]

Nelson Mandela was a man who fought the apartheid system in South Africa and though his ANC were responsible for many deaths, he was not technically a murderer. His lengthy and harsh prison term gave him the stature to go on to be the leader of his country ost apartheid.. etc etc.

( "..  to the prison on Robben Island, remaining there for the next 18 years........Mandela was imprisoned in a damp concrete cell measuring 8 feet (2.4 m) by 7 feet (2.1 m), with a straw mat on which to sleep.^[146] Verbally and physically harassed by several white prison wardens, the Rivonia Trial prisoners spent their days breaking rocks into gravel, until being reassigned in January 1965 to work in a lime quarry. ) wiki.

 

I have no problem with treating prisoners in a humane and decent way, but it is hard to feel for their circumstances in prison after reading some of the horrific crimes some of them have committed. We read recently about the beast that raped the young girl and those others who raped and murdered old women.  I am afraid their creature comforts in jail are of no concern to me. I am more concerned with how the government takes care of their victims.

Then of course, there are the unrepentant, arrogant, killers who have mowed down innocents while driving their cars in a dangerous manner while under the influence of a drug, these creatures don't even get to see a jail cell half the time...

[worgeordie]

So does this mean no 30-40 to a cell ?

regards worgeordie

[pumpjack]

32 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

So does this mean no 30-40 to a cell ?

regards worgeordie

no,  it probably means 30-40 to a cell instead of 70-80

[geistfunke]

6 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Some of the murdering, rapist scum in the Thai prisons should be left in the squalor. 

Murder and rapist always have to stay and live in heavy chains for 24 hours, also inside the prison, I hope this is enough torture for you?

 

[Jimmyjames120]

12 minutes ago, geistfunke said:

Murder and rapist always have to stay and live in heavy chains for 24 hours, also inside the prison, I hope this is enough torture for you?

 

Not for me, rapists should also be raped 24 hours a day, to "learn" what it's like

[300sd]

6 hours ago, pumpjack said:

no,  it probably means 30-40 to a cell instead of 70-80

Klong Prem prison in Bangkok: 130 inmates sleep together in one cell. Also I might add that many of these inmates would probably be innocent in any other country. (with all due respect to Thai Justice)!

[Chou Anou]

3 hours ago, Jimmyjames120 said:

Not for me, rapists should also be raped 24 hours a day, to "learn" what it's like

Sigh...here we go, cue the tough guy keyboard warriors... 

[chickenslegs]

Prison reform has to start somewhere, so why not Thon Buri Remand Prison which, assuming it is just a "remand" prison will be housing people who have not yet been convicted.

 

Setting aside the argument that some prisoners do not deserve humane treatment (debated ad nauseum in many topics), there is definitely a case to be made for improving things in Thai prisons generally. Treating people as sub-human will not improve their character nor deter them from re-offending.

 

The prison population rate of Thailand is one of the highest in the world (reference below) and includes people jailed for defamation, LM, bad debts, and all kinds of petty crime. Personally, I think a good start to reform would be to have a good think about who should go to prison in the first place.

 

I doubt there are any reliable statistics, but my guess would be that hardly any prisoners gain education, life skills, or practical training whilst inside. When an offender is released, without much possibility of finding honest employment, we can all guess what the outcome will be.

 

If the authorities are genuinely intent upon improving conditions and rehabilitating prisoners, which I hope they are, they should be supported and encouraged.

 

Of course, there are a few extremely dangerous people who can not be rehabilitated and should never be released into society.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_incarceration_rate

Edited July 24, 2017 by chickenslegs

[Cadbury]

This almost reads and sounds so good that crims and potential rapists, druggies and murders will be bashing the door down wanting to get in.

Of course, we all know this is nothing more that tokenism to be seen to be complying with the United Nations’ Nelson Mandela Rules. 

[Grubster]

17 hours ago, webfact said:

We are proud that Thailand is the first country in the world to adopt this new standard of good prison managemen

Are they dreaming or what? Most federal prisons in the US are pretty nice places to live or work. The club fed prisons in the US for white collar criminals would stun the average citizen at how nice they are.  I suspect this new style of prison here will be for white collar criminals also.

[bberrythailand]

230000 prisoners for 65 millions people and they don't feel ridiculous ?

 

Most of these 230000 should be free because most of them are in because of drug.that they were taking. Not even selling.

This country is a dump.

 

 

[Jimmyjames120]

15 hours ago, Chou Anou said:

Sigh...here we go, cue the tough guy keyboard warriors... 

Pathetic post.  So you would give them a lollipop?