Pregnant inmates get new welfare scheme
Friday October 05, 2007
SUPAWADEE INTHAWONG
Bangkok Post
A project has been launched to improve the welfare of pregnant inmates and their children born in prison. It will also provide a regular eye examination for female prisoners.
The project, which kicked off in October last year, was an initiative of Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha, said Justice Minister Charnchai Likitjitta at the official launch yesterday.
''The princess has visited the corrections centres several times and showed a deep interest in improving the welfare of pregnant inmates and their children born in prison,'' Mr Charnchai said.
The princess believes that children of imprisoned women are themselves innocent and entitled to better treatment. Inmates who are expecting should also get special pre-natal care, he quoted the princess as saying.
Hence, the princess sent nurses from the Thai Red Cross College of Nursing to provide proper childcare training to female inmates who wanted to become babysitters, Mr Charnchai added.
She also raised money for the project through sales of her diary.
Ang-kanung Lepnak, director of the Central Women's Correctional Institute, said altogether 37 pregnant inmates are serving time at the prison and 28 children, from newborn to one-year-old babies, are under its care.
The institute has its in-house daycare centre and 12 inmate-cum-babysitters have received childcare training so far.
Ms Ang-kanung said the prison allows mothers to sleep with their children at night to strengthen their bond. In the morning, the mothers send their children to the daycare centre after breastfeeding and come to the centre three times a day to breast-feed their children.
The mothers also receive training on child-rearing from the college nurses, she added.
A 39-year-old female inmate who was trained as a babysitter said she was grateful.
''Children in the prison have greater opportunities than many outside. They have enough clothes and educational toys,'' she said.
A Cambodian inmate who was put behind bars for 45 days for illegally entering Thailand is allowed to have her six-month baby with her all the time during her imprisonment.
''The baby kept crying as they had never been separated. So we let her take care of the child herself. She ties the baby to her back with a piece of cloth while working,'' Ms Ang-kanung said.
The inmate told the official that life behind bars in Thailand is better than in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh.
''The woman said she has no idea where to get clothes and food once she is deported back home,'' Ms Ang-kanung said.
According to statistics released by the Corrections Department, a total of 21,651 women are serving time across the country. Of the total, 141 are pregnant, while 146 children were born in jail.
Another 26 are children born to imprisoned foreigners.
The project, which kicked off in October last year, was an initiative of Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha, said Justice Minister Charnchai Likitjitta at the official launch yesterday.
''The princess has visited the corrections centres several times and showed a deep interest in improving the welfare of pregnant inmates and their children born in prison,'' Mr Charnchai said.
The princess believes that children of imprisoned women are themselves innocent and entitled to better treatment. Inmates who are expecting should also get special pre-natal care, he quoted the princess as saying.
Hence, the princess sent nurses from the Thai Red Cross College of Nursing to provide proper childcare training to female inmates who wanted to become babysitters, Mr Charnchai added.
She also raised money for the project through sales of her diary.
Ang-kanung Lepnak, director of the Central Women's Correctional Institute, said altogether 37 pregnant inmates are serving time at the prison and 28 children, from newborn to one-year-old babies, are under its care.
The institute has its in-house daycare centre and 12 inmate-cum-babysitters have received childcare training so far.
Ms Ang-kanung said the prison allows mothers to sleep with their children at night to strengthen their bond. In the morning, the mothers send their children to the daycare centre after breastfeeding and come to the centre three times a day to breast-feed their children.
The mothers also receive training on child-rearing from the college nurses, she added.
A 39-year-old female inmate who was trained as a babysitter said she was grateful.
''Children in the prison have greater opportunities than many outside. They have enough clothes and educational toys,'' she said.
A Cambodian inmate who was put behind bars for 45 days for illegally entering Thailand is allowed to have her six-month baby with her all the time during her imprisonment.
''The baby kept crying as they had never been separated. So we let her take care of the child herself. She ties the baby to her back with a piece of cloth while working,'' Ms Ang-kanung said.
The inmate told the official that life behind bars in Thailand is better than in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh.
''The woman said she has no idea where to get clothes and food once she is deported back home,'' Ms Ang-kanung said.
According to statistics released by the Corrections Department, a total of 21,651 women are serving time across the country. Of the total, 141 are pregnant, while 146 children were born in jail.
Another 26 are children born to imprisoned foreigners.
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