Crowded jails struggle to feed inmates | Bangkok Post: breakingnews

Crowded jails struggle to feed inmates

Published: 3 Oct 2012 at 14.34
Online news:

The cabinet has approved a 500 million baht emergency fund for the Corrections Departments so it can pay over 900 million baht in outstanding prison food bills.

Government spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ard said cabinet approved the Justice Ministry's request for additional funding to meet the cost of feeding inmates in over-crowded prisons across the country.

He said the Corrections Department has to take care of an average of 239,000 prisoners per day, but the budget provides only for the official prison capacity of about 160,000.

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bern1005
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Discussion 10 : 04 Oct 2012 at 12.5110
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D1 Seems to have the right idea, the reality is certain to be that a large percentage of the money allocated too feed prisoners is always stolen by corrupt officials.
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robins
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Discussion 9 : 03 Oct 2012 at 23.329
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@ Disscussion 6&7 "periodic beatings of prisoners are being used to substitute for humane and adequate supervision." I worked in a prison in my 20's, some of the really hard core do not understand anything but brute force and fear, have no conscience and cannot be reasoned with, that's why they are in prison.
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mitrapaap
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Discussion 8 : 03 Oct 2012 at 16.528
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Finally we can understand why all the big eaters are left out on bail.
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garabaldi
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Discussion 7 : 03 Oct 2012 at 16.207
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The overcrowding in Thai prisons has other serious consequences besides inadequate food allowance. Overcrowding itself leads to inhumane sleeping space where prisoners are pressed together, head to feet alternatively, on the floor. Women are even more pressed for space than men. Infectious diseases, such as pneumonia and TB spread easily. Combined with altogether inadequate staffing, the individual attention to prisoners required for effective rehabilitation is impossible. The behaviour of prisoners is controlled by long term sentencing with continual small remissions of sentence. Of late, periodic beatings of prisoners are being used to substitute for humane and adequate supervision. A complete overhaul of the prison system is required, rather than just a supplementary budget.
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garabaldi
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Discussion 6 : 03 Oct 2012 at 16.196
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The overcrowding in Thai prisons has other serious consequences besides inadequate food allowance. Overcrowding itself leads to inhumane sleeping space where prisoners are pressed together, head to feet alternatively, on the floor. Women are even more pressed for space than men. Infectious diseases, such a pneumonia and TB spread easily. Combined with altogether inadequate staffing, the individual attention to prisoners required for effective rehabilitation is impossible. The behaviour of prisoners is controlled by long term sentencing with continual small remissions of sentence. Of late, periodic beatings of prisoners are being used to substitute for humane and adequate supervision. A complete overhaul of the prison system is required, rather than just a supplementary budget.
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phetpeter
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Discussion 5 : 03 Oct 2012 at 16.195
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Open more prison farms, work gangs and prison factories and the younger ones could be made to work in the army. There you go! More food, more income for the service and tough training for the idle! Prisons emptied by a third. No sitting around home with a tag!
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khunbj
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Discussion 4 : 03 Oct 2012 at 15.364
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49 THB for meals a day, cheap cheap....and then on to the Thaksin obsessed , amazing.
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victor Careford

Discussion 3 : 03 Oct 2012 at 15.333
Why not make the families of the prisoners pay for their food? Perhaps they'd think twice about committing a crime if it hurt their family?
from iPhone application.
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Lazarisbk
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Discussion 2 : 03 Oct 2012 at 15.332
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Who is the food supplier that extended credit of 900 million baht?
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kasper
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Discussion 1 : 03 Oct 2012 at 15.081
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I always hear that all you get in Thai prisons is rice and rice soup. If that is the case, then perhaps the government could just supply the prisons a few million tonnes of rice from the rice pledging scheme since they cannot sell it anyway. Of course giving cash to the prisons ensures that the right people can get their 30-40-50% share!
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