Pardoned inmates need support, says corrections chief

(Bangkok Post file photo)

The Corrections Department has called for the public to support inmates who will be released from prisons upon receiving a royal pardon granted on the occasion of His Majesty the King’s coronation.

It also urged employers to give them a chance to return to work and prove they can contribute to society, said Pol Col Naras Savestanan, director-general of the Corrections Department.

Acceptance from society was important for every former prisoner, while a chance to get a proper job would help prevent them from relapsing, he said.

Prior to their release from the prison, inmates will be required to undergo training aimed at preparing them for a return to life outside jail, he said. They include education, mindfulness training and vocational training, he said.

The department will also work with a network of non-governmental organisations to follow up the lives of the former inmates and help them adjust to the outside world, he said.

A royal decree outlining the criteria and conditions for those eligible for a royal pardon or reduced sentence took effect yesterday, one day after it was published in the Royal Gazette.

According to the decree, the royal pardons are being granted on the occasion of His Majesty the King’s coronation to help inmates reintegrate with society as good citizens.

Offenders who have been performing public services, those who are already out on probation, inmates with a year or less remaining on their sentence, and people with serious disabilities and illnesses, such as terminal cancer and HIV/Aids, will be released.

Prison across the country yesterday began surveying those who might be qualified for a royal pardon and will them nominate the names to a tripartite committee — consisting of a judge, prosecutor and provincial governor— for inspection, said a source.

When approved by the committee, the list of qualified inmates will then be forwarded to the court for a formal order to release them within four months.

Among well-known figures who are expected to be released on this occasion is former transport permanent secretary Supoj Saplom who was sentenced to 10 months in prison last October in a false assets declaration case, said the source.