Tet "reunion" in Detention Camp

Cozy meal

Every year around December 24 and 25, Nghe An Provincial Police Detention Center organizes an early New Year's Eve dinner for prisoners serving their sentences there. The kitchen of Nghe An Provincial Police Detention Center is more crowded than usual these days.

The prisoners were all excited to participate in cooking and cutting cakes to prepare for the New Year's Eve meal. In the hall, peach blossom branches were also decorated and flashing lights were installed to make the atmosphere more cozy.

Prisoners decorate peach blossoms to prepare for Tet. Photo: Pham Bang

These are the efforts of the Board of Supervisors, officers and soldiers of the unit for the prisoners, in addition to the prescribed Tet meal. This year, 122 prisoners were able to attend the special meal with a standard food ration 5 times higher than normal days.

The New Year's Eve meal in the Detention Center is still full of Tet flavors, with Chung cake, jellied meat, fish, green vegetables, pickled onions... All are prepared by the hands of the prisoners with many available food ingredients in the camp, the result of the prisoners' labor during their time serving their sentences here.

Everything was done, 122 prisoners entered the dining room in neat rows to the sound of spring songs. They happily ate and chatted in a warm, friendly atmosphere that helped ease their homesickness and their longing for their loved ones.

At this moment, perhaps, they all thought about their families, their wives and children, their elderly parents, about the mistakes, the sorrows, the gains and losses that they had caused to themselves, their families, and society. The New Year's Eve dinner suddenly became tearful...

Prisoners gathered around the New Year's Eve dinner table, like a family, chatting happily to ease the longing for their loved ones as the traditional Tet holiday approached. Photo: Pham Bang

Lieutenant Colonel Dinh Trong Dung - Warden of Nghe An Provincial Police Detention Center said that these prisoners are here to pay the sentence that the law has given them for their crimes, but they are also human, also have normal feelings, also miss home, miss their loved ones, especially during Tet and Spring.

"The meal is the heart of the prison officers, and also to encourage prisoners to continue to strive in reform and work to have their sentences reduced and soon return to their families and society," said Lieutenant Colonel Dinh Trong Dung.

Better motivation for improvement

Lieutenant Colonel Dinh Trong Dung - Warden of the Provincial Police Detention Center, came to each table, asked about the health of each prisoner, and wished them a warm and happy meal. Photo: Pham Bang

Since the 28th of Tet, the prisoners have been off work. Some clean, some decorate peach blossoms, some take care of and water the budding flower bushes, some wrap banh chung...

While watering the plants, prisoner Nguyen Van T. (resident of Quy Hop district) who is serving a sentence for “Gambling” said that this was the first time he celebrated Tet in the Nghe An Provincial Police Detention Center. The man with two-colored hair shed tears as he ate his first New Year’s Eve meal away from his family.

“On Tet holiday, people gather with their families, but I have to go to serve my sentence. It's very painful, but I get to have a New Year's Eve meal, and receive a lot of care and encouragement from the Board of Supervisors and prison officers, so I feel less homesick,” prisoner T. confided.

To make the atmosphere in the camp fresher, the prisoners planted a lot of flowers. Photo: Pham Bang

While wrapping banh chung, prisoner Le Tuan G. (born in 1969, from Yen Thanh district, Nghe An) said that this was the second year he celebrated Tet in the Detention Center. Mr. G. was sentenced to 36 months in prison for “Violating regulations on driving road vehicles”.

“I miss my wife and children so much during Tet. This Tet without my husband and father, I don’t know if she can buy new clothes for my children, or if my parents and children will have a full Tet. Now I can only try to reform myself and never re-offend so that I can return to my wife and children soon,” G. said.

According to prison officers, during Tet, everyone wants to reunite with their families. In this situation, inmates also need attention and encouragement because they also have very human feelings. Therefore, officers must encourage and care more to make them more steadfast and secure in their work and rehabilitation.

The detention camp also organized for prisoners to wrap banh chung to recall beautiful memories like being with their families. Photo: Pham Bang

To promptly encourage and relieve the psychology of the inmates, the Camp also prepared more than 200 kg of candy and cakes. On New Year's Eve, the comrades in the Board of Supervisors, wardens, and managers of sub-camps and buildings were assigned to each cell to give Chung cakes, candy and cakes and wish a happy new year. During the Tet holidays, the Detention Camp will organize cultural and sports exchanges to help inmates ease their homesickness.

The atmosphere of Tet is approaching every cell. Prisoners look forward to Tet because every time Tet passes, their sentence is shortened, which means the day they return to their families and loved ones is closer.