Good Practice in Conducting the Pracha Ruam Rath Project in Developing Prisoners to Serve Industrial Sectors, a Case Study of Thonburi Remand Prison

Abstract

The behavior development process is an essential function of prisons to reduce recidivism and decrease the number of prisoners brought into the prison. Therefore, this research aimed to study prisoner's processes and patterns of behavior development through vocational training in industrial enterprises outside the prison regarding the project of Pracha Ruam Rath in Development of Prisoner to Serve Industrial Sectors, examine the project problems, and propose the appropriate guidelines for project operation. The qualitative research was employed by data collection from in-depth interviews and focus groups. The key informants included 3 personnel from the industrial sectors, 6 officers and commanders from the prison, and 15 prisoners who participated in the project. The results revealed that the implemented project was processed with vocational training and working competency supervised by the industrial enterprises. The cooperation between the prison and the industrial enterprises intended to provide prisoners with opportunities to learn and practice their job skills in real-life situation, prepare for self-adaptation prior to the release to society, and increase their chances of job opportunity after imprisonment. This could also lead to community reintegration with no recidivism. However, limitations in project operation were found and needed to be resolved. These could be achieved by cooperation and integration between government agencies and private enterprises. Thus, it can enhance the prisoner's occupational skills in line with the needs of domestic labor market and build confidence to the society in terms of the behavioral development by the Department of Corrections