Aiming to boost literacy among prisoners, the government has rolled out the Read for Release programme, offering inmates a four-day reduction of their sentences for every book they read.
The new initiative, which kicked off on April 3, is being spearheaded by Justice Minister Pol Colonel Tawee Sodsong.
Authorities are now in the process of amending regulations to ensure that sentence reductions for participating prisoners take effect soon.
In the meantime, about 1,300 prisoners – both male and female – have already started reading and accumulating the sentence-reduction days.
“We hope that through reading books, more prisoners will be able to read, write, and perform calculations, thereby acquiring skills that will boost their employment prospects,” Tawee said.
The policy, inspired by Brazil’s Redemption through Reading programme, was driven by statistics showing that 77% of inmates in Thailand had not completed basic education, while up to 10% had not attended school at all.
“Read for Release offers both hope and knowledge,” the justice minister said.
Positive feedback
Walailuck Choomchuen, director of the Central Women’s Correctional Institution, says she has noticed how the eyes of inmates light up while they read books.
Many Read for Release participants are also eager to share what they have read with others, she adds.
“Some of them had hardly touched a book before they came to prison,” she said. “After they started reading, their behaviour changed. Reading is a key factor that is improving their lives.”
All participants in Phase 1 of the programme have passed an evaluation to test whether they have read and understood the books well enough to claim the jail-term reduction.
Inmates’ happiness had increased after participating in the programme, said Sirikorn Maneerin, co-founder of Thailand Knowledge (TK) Park and a member of the Read for Release Committee, citing findings from prison questionnaires.
“They also find reading meaningful. We therefore believe that participants will be better able to reintegrate into society once they have completed their sentences,” she said.
Who can join?
Under current rules, inmates with final court rulings are eligible to join the programme at the following 21 facilities: Bang Kwang Central Prison, Nonthaburi Provincial Prison, Bangkok Remand Prison, Nakhon Pathom Central Prison, Chon Buri Central Prison, the Rayong Central Prison, Khaobin Prison, Kamphaeng Phet Central Prison, Chiang Rai Central Prison, Udon Thani Central Prison, Nakhon Sawan Central Prison, the Central Women’s Correctional Institution, Nakhon Ratchasima Women’s Correctional Institution, Chiang Mai Women’s Correctional Institution, Chon Buri Women’s Correctional Institution, Songkhla Women’s Correctional Institution, Thon Buri Women’s Correctional Institution, the Women’s Correctional Institution for Drug Addicts, Phuket Provincial Prison, Sakhon Nakhon Provincial Prison, and the Sawankhalok District Prison in Sukhothai.
More prisons may be added to the list if the authorities deem the pilot phase successful.
Thailand’s prison population currently numbers around 294,000 inmates, though only 210,000 have received final court rulings.
Programme participants must also be on track for a behaviour upgrade – from normal to good, good to very good, or from very good to excellent. Upgrades are granted based on good conduct in prison.
The fine print
While finishing a book will result in a sentence being cut by four days, the programme caps the maximum reduction to 48 days a year. In other words, participants can read as many books as they like, but only 12 will count in reducing the time they spend behind bars.
Participants must choose one book each month from a compulsory list drawn up by the authorities. They are also allowed to pick a second book based on their own interests – though this too must come from an approved list.
This second category offers a broader range of topics, including history, beauty, and agriculture.
After finishing a book, they must appear before a panel of judges and prove they have understood the content.
“They can just explain what they have read verbally or use graphs or storylines to summarise the content,” Walailuck explained.
The panel will then assess their comprehension and determine if their reading qualifies them for a sentence reduction.
Walailuck says 22 of the 4,400 inmates at the correctional facility she oversees have joined the Read for Release programme with earnest determination.
They have also inspired other inmates to try reading too, she adds.
“I have allowed participants to take books back to their sleeping quarters,” she said.
Walailuck said participants at her facility had read almost every book in the programme, making their way through a wide range of topics. “So, I have reached out to other agencies for book donations,” she added.
The Central Women’s Correctional Institution is even producing podcasts featuring participants, aiming to promote reading among fellow inmates.
Reading choices
Sirikorn Maneerin said Read for Release focuses on providing easy-to-read books, as the majority of inmates have not completed basic education.
She also revealed that the programme steered clear of books on Buddhist teachings since prison libraries were well stocked with these items already.
Correctional institutions are often flooded with donations of religious reading material.
“We have also sent volunteers into participating prisons to recommend books to programme participants,” said Sirikorn, a former deputy education minister.
Among them are members of the Isaan Reading Culture Council (iRead) from Udon Thani Rajabhat University, which is helping participating inmates at Udon Thani Central Prison.
“Some inmates initially lacked the confidence to read, but volunteers are guiding them,” Sirikorn said.
Sunisa Deenang, who heads iRead, said her group usually kicks off with ice-breaking and deep-listening activities before assuring inmates that they have the ability to read and pass the programme’s evaluation.
At the Udon Thani Central Prison, inmates are required to read the Cheewajit Magazine, which focuses on health-related content.
However, they may choose to summarise just one article from each issue, rather than read the entire magazine.
iRead plans to continue organising activities at the prison to inspire participants to keep reading.
“Reading heals the inmates. It also helps restore their confidence,” Sunisa said.
