NCJ Number
74774
Date Published
1980
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Factors promoting overcrowding in Thai prisons are identified, and measures adopted by the Thai Department of Corrections to reduce the prison population are described.
Abstract
In 1978, the average number of prison inmates in Thailand was about 69,000, while the maximum capacity of Thai prisons was about 40,000. The major factors contributing to prison overpopulation are increases in crime, delays in criminal proceedings, the infrequent use of alternatives to imprisonment even for minor offenses, the limited use of parole, and increases in penalties for violent crimes. If adopted, a bill providing for discretionary suspension of presecution in appropriate cases will save many first offenders from incarceration. Other methods are already being used to reduce the prison population. Adoption of the good-time system in 1977 permits the early release under probation of cooperative offenders before the ends of their prison terms. The establishment of open institutions for carefully selected inmates has alleviated overcrowding. Plans have also been made for expansion of the parole system through recruitment and training of volunteer parole officers. A bill introduced in 1978 would enable convicted prisoners to earn a good-time allowance for the period during which they successfully participated in community service programs. Another measure is the expansion in the use of probation as a condition for suspended sentence. A Central Probation Office was formed and the Law for Probationary Supervision of Adult Convicted Offenders was passed. Another recommended action is the elimination of unnecessary and unreasonable delays in criminal proceedings to reduce the large population of detained suspects. One data table on the Thai prison population is provided.