(VOVWORLD) - Prisons and internment camps in Vietnam started community reintegration on Tuesday for people who have been granted amnesty under the President's Decision. This is a special clemency policy of the State, decided by the President, to grant early release to prisoners on the 79th anniversary of National Day on September 2 and the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Capital on October 10. Amnesty affirms the clemency policy of the Party and State and the humanitarian tradition of the Vietnamese people towards offenders to encourage them to repent and become useful people.
 The leaders and police force of Quang Ninh province give the President's amnesty decision to 16 prisoners. (Photo: Nong Thi Diep/VOV) |
The prime principle in granting amnesty is abiding by the law. This time more than 3,700 prisoners will be pardoned, including 561 people of ethnic minority and 20 foreign nationals.
Strict, public, democratic and objective process
The Presidential Office in coordination with the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Supreme People's Court held a press conference on Monday to announce the President’s decision on amnesty in 2024. Competent agencies have issued guiding documents to ensure that amnesty will carried out fairly and transparently. These documents include Instruction No. 88 dated August 2 and Official Dispatch No. 76 dated August 7.
Relevant agencies have made all amnesty information available to prisoners and the media. Lieutenant Colonel Ha Giang, Warden of the Quang Ninh provincial Police Detention Center, said: “This time the list of inmates to be considered for pardon has been expanded. We posted public notices and regularly informed prisoners of the new policy so they could make themselves eligible for amnesty.”
Prisoners’ amnesty requests are processed under strict, open, objective, fair, transparent, and appropriate procedures according to the law. All prisoners are considered equally, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, religion, or social status. Amnesty dossiers are examined and assessed by functional agencies at many levels and under the supervision of social organizations and the people.
 Prisoners are granted amnesty at Ninh Khanh prison in Ninh Binh province. (Photo: Minh Huong/VOV) |
Ensuring human rights a priority
Over the past 15 years, the President has signed nine mass amnesties and more than 92,000 convicts have been granted early release. After returning home, most of them have worked, contributed to society, and participated in social movements to protect security and order at the grassroots level. The rate of recidivism is very low – about 0.08%.
Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Pham Thanh Ha said: “Through Presidential amnesty decisions, tens of thousands of people have received clemency, reunited with their families, and rebuilt their lives. Most of the pardoned prisoners have returned to their home, stabilized their life, and found an honest job. The rate of recidivism is very low. The humane result of the amnesty policy clearly reflects the priority of guaranteeing human rights in Party and State policies.”
To help amnestied people quickly reintegrate into the community, localities have set up mechanisms to manage, educate, give loans to, and create jobs for people with a criminal past.
Last year, the Prime Minister issued a decision to give loans to people who have completed their prison sentence or have been pardoned and to production facilities and businesses that employ them. So far more than 6,000 former prisoners have received loans totaling 21 million USD from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies.
Amnesty is stipulated in the Constitution and institutionalized in the Amnesty Law and other legal documents. The State’s amnesty policy recognizes prisoners’ rehabilitation and good behavior and gives them an opportunity to repent and reform.