News & Events

Thai Prisoners' Statistics start to decline

      The overcrowding of prisoners in Thailand's prisons has been a long-standing state, which is so-called "overpopulated prisons". The number of inmates has increased by more than 330,000, while the prison has a standardised capacity for only 200,000inmates. Yet, in the past two years inmate statistics in Thailand have been likely to decline significantly. Since the beginning of 2015 there had been330,629 inmates incarcerated, but after April 2015 it decreased to 300,000 within only8-9 months thanks to the Royal Pardon. Then the number of inmates began to rise again until August 2016, before continuing to decline until March 2017, with only 286,861 inmates, due to the fact that there were two prior occasions of the Royal Pardons in August and December.Therefore the inmates who have been rehabilitated and remained to serve less sentencing time shall have the opportunity to return to their families sooner. This helps reduce the overcrowding and pressures of inmates in prison.

As the number of inmates has decreased, prisons can continue to work to improve prisoners' training especially in the treatment of inmates more effectively and complied with international standards, especially theUnited Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules) and the United Nations for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules).

However, many are watching at the number of inmates whether the inmate number continue to reduce any furtherespecially the inmates in illicit drug cases, are 65% of all inmates. This is due to the upcoming drug legislation, which has adjusted the assumption on drug possession. It is expected to give the defendant more opportunity to fight in the case. But many believe it would not be possible to reduce the number of inmates compared to the introduction of the Narcotics Rehabilitation Act in 2002, which in turn reduced the number of inmates by 100,000 in 2003.

Thailandlacks alternative measures of imprisonment and intermediate punishment. Thus, currently imprisonment is a major punishment, with no alternative. As a result, the number of inmates has increased steadily and resulted in the imposition of reduction of imprisonment e.g.parole, good conduct allowances, because when it cannot take alternative measures before entering the prison (Front End), then it necessitates to apply more alternative measures after imprisonment (Back End) instead.

                                                                                                                 Report: Criminology News Centre