"It's chilling to hear stories about guarding death row inmates."

(Baonghean.vn) - Death row inmates are criminals sentenced to death - they are counting down the days until their execution. The story of guarding these death row inmates sends chills down one's spine.

Prison guards responsible for overseeing death row inmates must not only ensure absolute safety, but also regularly communicate with and understand the psychological and emotional state of the condemned prisoners in order to devise appropriate strategies and countermeasures.

A day in the life of a prison guard watching over death row inmates.

At the Nghe An Provincial Police Detention Center one day at the end of September, the correctional officers in general, and those on duty guarding death row inmates in the solitary confinement cells in particular, seemed more vigilant after the escape of two death row inmates from the T16 Detention Center of the Hanoi City Police.

Detention center of Nghe An Provincial Police. Photo: Ha Thu

Historically, the guarding of death row inmates has always been strictly enforced. This is because the detention center houses the highest number of death row inmates in the country, with 32 individuals. Furthermore, the solitary confinement cells at the detention center are dilapidated, and some death row inmates have been sentenced to death for over 10 years without execution.

Captain Nguyen Viet Hung, who was assigned to guard the B2 solitary confinement cell where 16 death row inmates were held, recounted: A day for a prison guard begins with going to each cell, waking the death row inmates to check on their safety and the security of their cells. Then, twice a day, they regularly remove the shackles for 15 minutes each time, allowing the inmates to shower, clean themselves, and go outside their cells for physical exercise.

Every day, interacting with prisoners counting down the days until their execution, prison guards must constantly inquire about their well-being and health, offering encouragement to understand their mindset and promptly inform the medical team if there are any negative developments in the health of the condemned prisoner.

Among the 16 death row inmates under Captain Hung's supervision, the one with the longest tenure in shackles is Tran Dinh Phi (born in 1976), residing in Na Toc village, Que Son commune, Que Phong district. Phi was the ringleader of a drug trafficking network from Laos, organizing the purchase and sale of 59 blocks of heroin on eight separate occasions. Sentenced to death in 2006, this death row inmate has been in solitary confinement for 11 years.

Captain Nguyen Viet Hung is inspecting the security of the solitary confinement cells. Photo: Ha Thu.

Death row inmate Truong Van Quang (born in 1985), residing in Chau Tien commune, Quy Hop district, was sentenced to death in September 2016 after causing the death of Mr. Nathusingh Solanki (Indian nationality). Since being placed in solitary confinement, Quang has been mentally unstable and pessimistic due to having both late-stage HIV and a death sentence. He requested that officials allow him to write a petition to be executed early.

Also in this solitary confinement area are many notorious death row inmates such as Phan Thanh Ton, Vu Duc Manh, Vu Thanh Trung… The majority of these are convicted of drug offenses and have spent a relatively long time in shackles, so Captain Hung's duties and pressure are quite heavy. Every day he has to meet and talk with them to understand their psychology and thoughts in order to provide appropriate sedative therapy for each death row inmate.

Light at the end of the tunnel

Captain Nguyen Thi Lien, who has over 30 years of experience as a prison guard, including many years guarding death row inmates, shared: "I can't remember how many death row inmates I've 'sent' to the execution grounds, but through my interactions with them, I've realized one thing: when faced with death, everyone has an extraordinary desire to live. And they truly feel remorse, regret, and guilt for what they have done."

Of course, remorse always comes late, but it's a noteworthy psychological transformation, after all that this person has done to their family, society, and themselves.

Three of the four female death row inmates currently under Captain Lien's care are sisters-in-law, all involved in a drug trafficking ring that bought and transported up to 225 blocks of heroin. They are Nguyen Hoai Thu, Nong Thi Han, Nguyen Thi Chau, and Truong Thi Hue. Remarkably, all four female inmates suffer from high blood pressure and have repeatedly written petitions to the President requesting clemency.

Captain Nguyen Thi Lien inquires about and shows concern for detainees and prisoners being held in temporary custody. Photo: Ha Thu.

Having moved from Ha Tinh to teach at Tien Phong Secondary School in Que Phong district, blinded by greed, Nguyen Hoai Thu was drawn into a cross-Vietnam drug trafficking ring, even dragging her two sisters-in-law into a deadly conflict. From her solitary confinement, Thu used her savings to subscribe to newspapers, and through this medium, the female death row inmate learned about and sympathized with the difficult circumstances of those outside of prison.

With the remaining love for children that she still possesses as a teacher, Thu has donated money from her savings three times to help two particularly disadvantaged families. Specifically, she helped Nguyen Dang Hung, an orphan from Hamlet 8, Nhan Son Commune, Do Luong District, twice with 1 million VND each time. Most recently, also through the mass media, Nguyen Hoai Thu sent money to help Lo Thi Kim Oanh (10 years old), an orphan from Giang Hamlet, Nghia Thai Commune (Tan Ky District).

According to Captain Nguyen Thi Lien, when Nguyen Hoai Thu was first put in shackles, she was very depressed and resigned herself to death, so she went on a hunger strike for a whole week. Officers had to encourage and reason with her for a long time before she regained her composure.

Another case is that of death row inmate Lu Thi Minh, from Tam Quang commune, Tuong Duong district. A district official, she was sent to study part-time at Vinh University. Blinded by love, Minh was exploited and became a drug trafficker. Tragically, she dragged her younger brother, also a student at the time, into the criminal path. The bitter end was that Minh was sentenced to death, while her brother received a 20-year prison sentence.

Luck smiled upon the fate of prisoner Lu Thi Minh after more than two years in shackles. Following a petition for clemency sent to the President, and considering her family background as a revolutionary, with her father being a severely wounded veteran and former prisoner of Phu Quoc, her sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. She is currently serving her sentence at Dong Son Prison (Quang Binh).

For prison guards overseeing death row inmates, perhaps the most challenging cases involve those who are ill or suffering from diseases. Bearing a death sentence and frequently afflicted by illness, these individuals often lose their will to live and resist. In these cases, ensuring the inmate's health while guaranteeing absolute safety during treatment is always the most difficult task for the guards.

Captain Nguyen Thi Lien, a prison guard overseeing death row inmates at the Nghe An Provincial Police Detention Center. Photo: Ha Thu

Death row inmate Nguyen Trong Tuan (born 1975), residing in Khanh Son 2 commune, Nam Dan district (Nghe An province), who was sentenced to death in 2013, is HIV positive. A few months ago, Tuan became agitated, cursing, throwing objects, and shouting day and night, so he was transferred to the detention center's infirmary for detention and treatment, where he has been since May 2017. Captain Tran Trong Phu, assigned to guard Tuan, instead of performing his duties in solitary confinement, had to move to the unit's infirmary to supervise, monitor, and guard the death row inmate.

Major Nguyen Cong Dung, Deputy Superintendent of the Provincial Police Detention Center, said: "Currently, the detention cells are equipped with security cameras for monitoring, but in times of incidents such as power outages or storms, correctional officers still have to patrol regularly to ensure that no incidents occur."

Nevertheless, fulfilling their responsibilities, those on duty guarding death row inmates at the Provincial Police Detention Center still perform their duties well, both stabilizing the inmates' mental state and ensuring absolute safety in the detention environment.

Ha Thu