Rehabilitation Guidelines for Prisoners Convicted of National Security Offences: A Case Study of Thailand’s 3 Southern Border Provinces

Abstract

This study purports to examine possible rehabilitation guidelines for prisoners who are convicted of national security offences across the 3 Southern border provinces of Thailand and to propose relevant recommendations and suggestions towards the concerned issue, as well as providing relating benefits and advantages for the department of corrections and the convicted prisoners. Accordingly, the study discovers that in order to lessen the involvement with respect to the cases of national security, reduce violence, and return and rehabilitate the prisoners back into the society without the tendency of reconviction, such cases require specifically tailored guidelines and measures that differ from general rehabilitation programmes. Respectively, Guideline I-education and trainings for prisoners should be available constantly and consistently, especially on the subjects of general education, Thai language programme, and vocational trainings, of which can produce positive effects upon the prisoners’ attitudes and perceptions. Vis-a-vis vocational trainings, there should be a wide range of choices and programmes that could fit diverse interests of each prisoners. Moreover, such programmes should equip the prisoners with suitable and necessary knowledges and skills that they require in order to get back into the society after their releases. Guideline II-a socio-phycological approach employed through psychological consulting services. This approach aims at adjusting and improving the prisoners’ attitudes and behaviours, reducing violence, and eliminating wrongful perceptions. Guideline III-giving education on the topics of religion and mind and soul’s development, employing principles instructed and preached within the religious teachings, of which is highly considered and revered as crucially significant to one’s life, as a tool to guide individuals to do good and absent from malicious wrongdoings. Guideline IV-vocational trainings that target to assist the prisoners towards becoming business owners. Such trainings or workshops, either general or vocational, in order to be capable of adjusting the prisoner’s perceptions and attitudes, should be of certain varieties so as to fit the different and diverse interests of the prisoners e.g. workshops and trainings for mechanics or electricians. In addition, correctional facilities should employ certain approaches that will assist and allow the prisoners to be welcome back to the society. This includes the acceptance offered by potential and future employers of the ex-convicts. Guideline V-with regards to the participation and involvement from the prisoner’s family and the society, visits at the correctional facilities by family members should be allowed and organised frequently and consistently, including other family and religious activities that should be facilitated and take place weekly in order to provide relevant knowledge and trainings the prisoners, encouraging their participation and involvements. Guideline VI-sports and leisures, therapeutic music and creative arts programmes should be accessible by the prisoners. This is also in line with the standards of treatment issued by the United Nations and the international human rights principles, which concerns issues with respect to the general and standard wellbeing and life’s necessities of the prisoners, together with the promoting of sports, music, and exercises, of which are the principles prevalent across all prisons and correctional facilities.