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thaiga

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B3.5bln "super max" prison planned
« on: February 01, 2012, 04:16:21 PM »
The Corrections Department plans to seek about 3.5 billion baht from the 2013 budget to build a "super max" prison with hi-tech security systems for detaining major drug convicts, Thirachai Wuthitham said on Wednesday.

Mr Thirachai, secretary to the justice minister and spokesman for the Justice Ministry, announced the plan at a press conference along with Korbkiat Kasiwiwat, deputy director-general of the Corrections Department.

He said Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung and Justice Minister Pracha Promnok would on Friday, Feb 8, call a meeting of chiefs of 143 prisons and directors of narcotics suppression offices from throughout the country for a briefing on measures to prevent prisons from being used by inmates for drug dealings.

The Corrections Department and Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) had jointly compiled measures to be taken against this problem in four phases.

In the first phase, about 500 inmates involved in the drug trade would be moved to Khao Bin Central Prison in Ratchaburi province by the end of this month.

Other supplementary measures would be taken from March 16.  They included a ban on sending gifts and parcels to  inmates at high-security prisons, taping of conversations between inmates and visiting relatives, installation of closed-circuit television cameras, and x-ray machines for detecting drugs.

In the second phase, telephone signal blocking equipment would be installed at Phitsanulok, Khlong Phai and Rayong central prisons by May.

In the third phase, a high security zone would be built and completed this year at Si Khiu Central Prison in Nakhon Ratchasima province.  The building covering this zone would have cells for solitude detention and small-sized detention cells for more effective supervision and searches for suspected materials.  A video conference system would be installed for a meeting between visitors and inmates to make drug dealings more difficult.

In the fourth phase, a fund of about 3.5 billion baht would be sought from the 2013 budget to build a "super max" prison with hi-tech security systems to house only major drug convicts.

If the funds were approved, the construction of the prison would be completed in three years.  It would probably be built on land owned by the Corrections Department in Si Khiu district of Nakhon Ratchasima province.

Mr Korbkiat said "super max" maximum security prison was needed because prisons throughout the country were now housing together three main groups of drug-related inmates - drug convicts on death row, drug traders and drug users.

There were now about 20 drug convicts on death row and more than 1,000 convicts serving life sentences,  apart from drug users.  It was necessary to separate these convicts to prevent them continuing their drug dealing while in prison, he said.

Mr Korbkiat said the Corrections Department had a list of officials who were suspected to have been involved in the drug trade in each prison and they were under close watch.

He admitted that he had formerly been offered bribes of between 300,000 and 500,000 baht to transfer major drug convicts to prisons with only normal security levels, but he turned down the offers and paid no attention to them.

Transfers of prisoners must be considered by a committee with members from different agencies including the ONCB, the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, Department of Special Investigation and Anti-Money Laundering Office, Mr Korbkiat said.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/277839/b3-5bln-super-max-prison-planned
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Johnnie F.

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Re: B3.5bln "super max" prison planned
« Reply #1 on: February 02, 2012, 07:51:17 AM »
JUSTICE

'Supermax' prison takes shape

The Corrections Department plans to ask for more than 1 billion baht in the 2013 fiscal year to build the first super-maximum security prison in Thailand.

Two smuggling suspects, Jakkapong Kaewkamchan, 18, front, and Pongkrit Thipkokkruat, 26, back, after they were caught near Khlong Phai Central Prison in Sikhiu district of Nakhon Ratchasima yesterday. Police say the men were arrested as they assembled a remote-controlled plane modified to deliver mobile phones over the walls of the prison.

The "supermax" is designed to house the most dangerous and most hardened prisoners. In several countries, supermax inmates are criminals that pose a threat to national and international security.

Thirachai Wutthitham, secretary to the Justice Ministry and the ministry's spokesman, said the supermax is part of a four-step plan drawn up to curb drug trafficking in prisons.

He said construction of the prison would take about three years.

Mr Thirachai said the department has to relocate the first batch of about 500 drug convicts from prisons nationwide to Ratchaburi's Khao Bin Central Prison, dubbed the drugs prison, by the end of this month.

The department will install telephone signal jammers in Phitsanulok Central Prison, Khlong Phai Central Prison in Sikhiu district of Nakhon Ratchasima and Rayong Central Prison.

This will enable the prisons to detain more drug convicts without fear of them keeping up contact with drug networks outside prison walls, he said.

That work would be completed by the end of May.

Mr Thirachai said the department expects to complete construction of a high-security unit in Khlong Phai Central Prison by the end of this month.

Korpkiat Kasiwiwat, the department's deputy director-general, said drug inmates in prisons could be divided into three groups: users, traders and killers.

Users are those involved in routine trafficking activities such as hiding mobile phones or drugs in certain places.

They are paid up to 5,000 baht a month. Traders act as debt collectors, while killers are those facing death sentences or life imprisonment.

Mr Korpkiat said each prison had listed its "grey officials" _ those suspected of being involved in drug trafficking in prisons. The department was keeping a close eye on them.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung, who is supervising justice affairs and the government's drug suppression campaign, said the government was ready to support all prisons with additional equipment to step up security measures.

"This issue ... will lead to a systematic eradication of drug trafficking networks," Mr Chalerm said.

Witthawan Sunthornkhajit, director of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board in Region 3, said heavy drug suppression in the North meant that drug traffickers there are diverting their trafficking routes via Laos through lower northeastern provinces to Bangkok and the Central region.

Mr Witthawan said Lao drugs officials recently met their Thai counterparts in Ubon Ratchathani province to discuss joint anti-drugs operations.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri said he had told the Food and Drugs Administration officials to work closely with police to block imports of precursor chemicals into the country.

Mr Witthaya said the Public Health Ministry expected to provide rehabilitation for 400,000 drug addicts across the country and return them to live happily with their families within this year.

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