Phuket MP backs second-chance reforms for former prisoners
Speaking in Parliament in support of establishing a special committee to study offender reintegration and the prevention of repeat offences, the Kla Tham Party MP said Thailand currently has about 320,000 prisoners…
Kla Tham Party MP Oratai on May 9 urged Parliament to set up a special committee on offender reintegration and repeat-offence prevention, citing her work with former inmates in Phuket. She said Thailand has about 320,000 prisoners, with nearly 70% jailed for drug-related offences, and that about 30% of released prisoners reoffended within three years, based on 2019-2022 figures.
She told Parliament that employment and social acceptance are the main factors in reducing reoffending. Criminal records, she said, continue to block many former inmates from securing stable jobs, leaving them with only temporary daily wage work.
Phuket prison project links inmates to training and income
Oratai said she has volunteered at Bang Jo Temporary Prison in Srisoonthorn for more than two years. She added that former inmates regularly contact her after release asking for help finding work.
She pointed to the Good People’s Market at Bang Jo as one example of rehabilitation support already in place. The project brings together Phuket Rajabhat University, Srisoonthorn Municipality and local communities to provide vocational training and income-earning opportunities for inmates.
She also noted that the Department of Corrections and prisons nationwide are working to equip inmates with vocational skills before release.
Two proposals target records and hiring barriers
Oratai asked lawmakers to study removing criminal records for certain former offenders after an appropriate period. She said the measure could improve access to jobs for people trying to rebuild their lives.
She also proposed an intermediary system through the Department of Corrections to connect former inmates with private-sector employers. The idea, she said, would help build employer confidence in hiring people with past convictions.
As an example of successful reintegration, she cited a former inmate who now works as a barista at a coffee shop in Phuket after being given a chance despite having a criminal record.
Source: https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-mp-pushes-second-chance-reforms-for-former-prisoners-100145.php
