BANGKOK: The government is planning to curb overcrowding in prisons by implementing measures such as bunk beds for inmates.
Deputy government spokesman Rachada Dhnadirek said there were 374,052 inmates in 143 prisons.
“The prisons can accommodate 254,000 inmates at a time. The sleeping accommodations for prisoners fall below the standards set by the United Nations of 1.2 and 1.1 sq m per male and female inmate respectively.”
According to the Bangkok Post, the cabinet had since agreed on urgent measures to tackle the cramped sleeping conditions and had allocated US$6.7 million to install bunk beds in 94 prisons.
The cabinet had also agreed to buy 30,000 electronic monitoring bracelets for offenders on probation.
As for foreign inmates, she said laws would need to be amended or passed to deal with legal disputes and facilitate their transfer. There are 14,275 foreign inmates from 103 countries.
“Where appropriate, jail sentences for people convicted of certain crimes will be suspended or reduced. New prisons will be constructed to create more space.
“The government will attempt to change the perception among drug offenders that going to jail is better than undergoing a rehabilitation programme.”
She said drug prevention programmes would be given priority.
There are 9,564 inmates jailed for drug offences; they are being or waiting to be rehabilitated. Drug offenders make up the largest number of inmates, at 288,648.
The Corrections Department has ordered prisons to launch screening procedures for new inmates, particularly those from China, to prevent the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus.
The department’s director-general, Police Colonel Narat Sawettanan, said there were 328 Chinese inmates in Thai jails.
He said recently jailed Chinese inmates would go through health screenings.
He added that if they showed symptoms, they would be quarantined for up to 14 days.