The Ministry of Public Security proposes allowing prisoners to work outside of prisons.

The 30th session of the National Assembly Standing Committee, which opened on the morning of January 10th, continued to discuss the draft Law on Execution of Criminal Sentences (amended).

Chairwoman of the Judiciary Committee Le Thi Nga stated that although the provision on "organizing production areas and labor sites for prisoners outside prisons" is still subject to much debate, the Judiciary Committee and the Ministry of Public Security (the lead agency in drafting the bill) have agreed to propose adding this provision to the draft law.

Accordingly, prisons are permitted to establish production areas and labor sites, and to cooperate with businesses, organizations, and individuals to organize labor and vocational training for inmates outside the prison. This must ensure security and order in the area where inmates work; fully implement detention, education, and rehabilitation regimes; and ensure transparency in the redistribution of labor results. Inmates allowed to work outside the prison must also be selected based on specific conditions regarding the type of crime, the severity of the punishment, and their attitude.

Many members of the National Assembly Standing Committee, such as Chairman of the Ethnic Council Ha Ngoc Chien, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Phung Quoc Hien, Chairman of the Culture and Education Committee Phan Thanh Binh, and Head of the National Assembly Office Nguyen Hanh Phuc, expressed their agreement with this content this morning. However, Mr. Phuc suggested that production areas should be located far from residential areas for better management; to avoid instability, especially to limit drug trafficking.

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan agreed but suggested that regulations must be strict and adhere to the Labor Law to prevent forced labor. Workers must benefit from the results and contribute to improving meals. According to Ms. Ngan, the establishment of production zones and production sites for prisoners also involves the Land Law and land allocation, so careful consideration is necessary.

Chairman of the Committee on Science, Technology and Environment, Phan Xuan Dung, stated that some inmates in the field of information technology have invented very good innovations. Therefore, it is necessary to study approaches that ensure benefits for both the inmates and the nation, as they can generate billions, even hundreds of billions of dong, every day.

In further explanation, Minister of Public Security To Lam stated that prisons regularly classify and evaluate inmates. Accordingly, there are three types of inmates: firstly, those who constantly resist, seek ways to violate the law, even "directing outsiders," and refuse to reform. These are dangerous and especially dangerous inmates. Secondly, there are those who are neither here nor there. The third type, which makes up the majority, consists of those who are very active, comply well with regulations, and always hope to be evaluated and released early.

According to Mr. To Lam, while the law does not explicitly stipulate that prisoners should be sent to work in production areas or labor sites, this practice has already been implemented. Based on classification, prisons select prisoners who meet the criteria to work outside. The aim is to "rehabilitate them into good people."

The head of the police force stated that there are 54 prisons nationwide managed by the Ministry of Public Security. Most of these prisons are located in economically and socially disadvantaged areas with poor transportation infrastructure, making them unattractive to investment and hindering effective labor and vocational training for inmates. The majority of prisons in the North and Central regions have limited and scattered land areas, making it difficult to develop production and vocational training for inmates. Therefore, labor in these prisons is primarily focused on agriculture and livestock farming, a self-sufficient system. This means the state still has to invest a large amount of budget in these prisons.

In recent years, prisons have partnered with businesses and individuals to organize labor and vocational training for inmates, mainly in garment manufacturing, handicrafts, and agricultural product processing. While this method is convenient for managing inmates because labor is organized within the prison, it can only focus on a few low-income, manual labor sectors. The state has to invest heavily in workshops and machinery, as businesses are not allowed to invest within prisons..Because production takes place within prisons, these facilities find it difficult to attract businesses and individuals to invest in manufacturing.

To overcome these difficulties, with the approval of local authorities, 24 prisons with good security and order were piloted by the Ministry of Public Security to establish "production zones" and link with businesses and production facilities to create "labor and vocational training centers" outside the prisons.

These work sites are designed within the premises of the enterprises' production facilities, surrounded by fences, separating them from residential areas. Prisoners are assigned to work in confined spaces, facilitating management and supervision. The construction costs for these off-campus work sites are covered by the partnering unit. According to the Ministry of Public Security, results show that out of nearly 7,000 prisoners who went out to work, only one escaped.

Hoang Thuy