Staff Writer

As he returns to Ban Kanchanapisek Juvenile Vocational Training Center in Nakhon Pathom province, 50 kilometers southwest of Bangkok, 22-year-old Pued* is still thinking about the meal he shared with his family the night before.

He reports his return to the center to his adviser before heading off to join another 150 young offenders to carry out their regular daily activities.

Pued is excited at the prospect of catching up with his friends since he's sure they'll have plenty to talk about having spent three days at home with their families. The opportunity to get a taste of family life again has been provided thanks to a new initiative introduced by the ministry of justice. The program allows young offenders to spend a few days every month with their families.

“Being able to go home for a visit help me prove to myself that I can not only follow the rules of the center, but also conform with the rules of the outside world,” says Pued, who has to serve two more years of a prison sentence for murder. Pued was found guilty of murder after his involvement in a violent gang brawl.

Pued said he was relieved to have been transferred to Ban Kanchanapisek last year since it has given him the opportunity to receive some tuition and participate in the kind of activities that simply weren't available at the two establishments where he was previously detained.

“This place has led me to change my attitude towards myself and to life, and think seriously about the future,” he says.

A humane approach
Ticha na Nakorn, the director of Ban Kanchanapisek, says the idea to let young offenders return home once a month stems from a belief that parents are the most important influence on them.

A tightening of the parent-child relationship is just one of several other non-violent, constructive procedures initiated at the center, which was established as a pilot project in 2003.
“Our rules and regulations are based on the fundamental principle that every one is a human being,” said Ticha, whose work experience has mainly involved the promotion of children's and women’s rights over a period of 25 years.

Since taking on the responsibility of supervising the center, Ticha has been nurturing a good understanding of children’s rights, as well as promoting a humane-based approach among the 'warden-cum-advisers'. Now the advisory role of the wardens must also reflect sincere care and goodwill towards the inmates.

Ticha says physical punishments and beatings are absolutely forbidden since she believes that carrying out such acts will only add to the youngsters' sense of guilt, while potentially harming their ability to readjust and again conform with social norms.

Those who break the rules are dealt with by using a non-violent form of punishment, such as a loss of access to leisure facilities or other constructive activities provided by the center. Many of the center's rules are drafted and revised with the assistance of the youngsters themselves.

Ticha, who is also known as Pa Mon (Auntie Mon) among the young people serving their time at the center explains that Ban Kanchanapisek is focused on providing a supportive environment.

“Ban Kanchanapisek is not a prison but a temporary shelter for young people who have unintentionally made the wrong steps or chosen the wrong path in their lives,” she says.

The new philosophy also applies to the center's architectural features. Low-rise offices and residential structures, equipped with useful amenities, are surrounded by lawns and gardens, giving the center the feel of a regular government office.

The center's most distinguishing element from an architectural perspective is the arched entrance, which is simply an entrance without any significant barrier or gate.

“This provides a good challenge and is a way of winning their hearts,” Ticha says, adding that only one youngster had escaped from the center, and this took place many years ago. The escapee fled to meet up with his girlfriend and was returned shortly after, she said.

Ban Kanchanapisek Juvenile Vocational Training Center is home to between 150-160 young offenders, aged between 16 and 24 years old. They are selected from other detention centers based on their behavior or interest in the center and its unique methods. Most of the detainees have been convicted of rape or murder.

Education at the center focuses on social education (focused on lessons on life), academic education (regular schooling), as well as vocational training. Ticha puts an emphasis on social education so the youngsters can better understand life and the idea of social harmony.

Inmates are encouraged to keep and update a diary, while they can analyze the news to stimulate discussion on social issues, particularly topics relating to violence, which appear in various publications and on television.

Ticha says these activities force the young offenders to think of the consequences of violence, such as the trauma suffered by rape victims and the families of murder victims.

The center also organizes several social-related events every year to allow the young offenders to learn about people from all walks of life, and see how people can relate to each other in a constructive way.

The youngsters have built homes for victims of natural disasters and repaired homes for people with disabilities and elderly people living in poor neighborhoods.

“They [the youngsters] need to realize that every life is precious since everyone relates to and means something to someone else in one way or another,” Ticha says.

She said the projects also help young offenders learn that they can contribute something to society as a whole.

An influential model
The ministry of justice started using a new approach at 17 other youth detention centers across the country last year based on the Ban Kanchanapisek model. State officials have been impressed by the behavioral improvements and adjustments in attitude among young offenders at Ban Kanchanapisek, which offers potential for more effective treatment and the rehabilitation of young offenders back into society.

Pued feels the new approach has provided him with an improved existence while in detention, and says he hopes youngsters at other detention centers will also get the opportunity to experience the same approach.

“This place has helped me to set a goal in my mind that I will never repeat the same mistake again,” he says.

Pued also says he intends to try his very best not to re-offend despite being a bit worried about how people will treat him when he finishes serving out his sentence.

* Pued is an alias used to protect the dignity and privacy of the interviewee.