Prisoners at the No. 3 detention center are all guaranteed to enjoy the most basic human right to maintain physical condition, thereby other rights can be promoted.

On the morning of June 25, the Department of External Information (Ministry of Information and Communications) and the Government Standing Office of Human Rights organized a tour for the press to study real conditions at the No. 3 detention center of the Ministry of Public Security located in Nghia Dung commune, Tan Ky district, Nghe An province.

This is the home of nearly 2,000 inmates, including many particularly dangerous prisoners.

According to Colonel Phan Dinh Thanh, superintendent of the No. 3 detention center, prisoners here are all guaranteed to enjoy the most basic human right to maintain physical condition, thereby other rights can be promoted.

In that spirit, the Party Committee, the Supervisory Board, and the administrators are always listening, encouraging, ideologically educating prisoners, helping them to improve themselves. The education and the implementation of policies for prisoners must ensure both strictly compliance with the provisions of law on the enforcement of imprisonment sentences and at the same time show the deep humanitarian spirit of the VN Communist Party and State.

According to the reporters’ observations, prisoners who are undergoing reform in the No. 3 detention center are taught how to read and write, and provided with legal information, and vocational training and working skills. In particular, human rights of prisoners are always implemented by the prison in accordance with the provisions of Vietnamese law and in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

Belongings of prisoners are arranged neatly. Each cell has a clean toilet, a 29 inch color TV, and an average floor area of 2.1 square metres per prisoner.

The food processing area has a blackboard that clearly states the criteria for daily and monthly meals. Each inmate is provided with extra food outside the general standard of the State, which is set from VND20,000 to VND30,000/month. The extra money is deducted from the labor results of prisoners. Meals are always properly quantified and quality guaranteed.

The infirmary is designed separately, with a team of physicians on duty with basic medical equipment for examination and treatment. When the press delegation came, there were five prisoners being treated here.

The supervision board regularly provides prisoners with books and newspapers to ensure their spiritual life and to help prisoners learn and repent. The prison's library currently has about 1,200 titles, including literature, art, politics, economics, health, education ... There are also small bookcases in cells and workshops for prisoners to read in their free time.

In order to make the library activities more lively, the supervisors regularly organize reading-related contests for prisoners, which attract a large number of prisoners.

The food processing area has a blackboard that clearly states the criteria for daily and monthly meals.

In addition to the library, cultural and arts activities are also held regularly by the prison authorities, such as singing and sporting events. The prison also set up an art troupes gathering prisoners who can sing and dance well. The troupe usually performs during holidays and events at the prison.

Regarding labor re-education, the prison focuses on organizing vocational training classes and training skills for prisoners, so that when they return home they can find a job, and at the same time it ensures the management work at the prison. Currently, 60% of the prisoners work in the prison’s workshops, mainly producing handicrafts.

Prisoner Nguyen Huy Truong, who is being held for "Murdering and Destroying Property", said: "Here I learned the craft of making false eyelashes, and went to the kitchen to process food.

"Previously, in the arms of my family, I did not know what to do at all. I was out of my mind, easily controlled by my friends, so I acted without reason.

"Now I know how to take care of myself, how to care about people around me and how to listen. In the cell, we can play chess, watch TV, read books, newspapers ... Spiritual life is always guaranteed."

Prisoner Nguyen Ngoc Anh (from Bong Khe commune, Con Cuong district, Nghe An) told reporters that the supervisory board and officials of the prison have strictly followed the state policies and the legal provisions on diet and living rules. During the big holidays of the country, the diet of prisoners is improved compared to normal days.

Hoa Binh