Vocational training inside prison walls is helping inmates rebuild confidence and prepare for life beyond incarceration.
In the structured environment of a correctional facility, human rights are not only reflected in living conditions or access to healthcare. They are also upheld through opportunities for inmates to learn, work, and rebuild their lives with their own hands.
This reality comes into focus at Vinh Quang Prison in Phu Tho province, where a vocational workshop hums with quiet purpose behind locked gates.
Inside Workshop No. 2, stacks of supermarket bags take shape through the steady hands of inmates. The atmosphere resembles a production line outside prison walls. Each person focuses on a specific task: attaching handles, stitching the body, trimming threads, inspecting, and finishing.
Dozens of sewing machines run continuously, creating a rhythmic, almost musical cadence. Near the entrance, inmates carefully examine each detail before finalizing the products. Every movement is precise, practiced, and synchronized.
Pham Dinh Khanh, an inmate from Tam Duong, Phu Tho, shared that he had no prior experience in sewing before his incarceration.
“I only learned this here, step by step. It’s not too difficult. At the inspection and finishing stage, it takes about two minutes to complete a bag,” he said.
Dozens of sewing machines operate continuously inside the workshop, creating a steady rhythm.
Senior Lieutenant Hoang Hong Hai, supervising officer of Team 30, Workshop No. 2.
A typical workday runs from 7am to 11am and from 2pm to 5pm. Within that routine, each finished product carries more than the value of labor - it represents preparation for a life beyond prison.
“What matters most is having a skill. When I leave, I’ll feel more confident and ready for work,” Khanh added, his voice reflecting a sense of renewed optimism.
According to Senior Lieutenant Hoang Hong Hai, a supervising officer at Workshop Team 30, vocational training is systematically organized across 14 different trades, ranging from garment production to electronics and simple manufacturing.
These programs are often conducted in partnership with businesses, equipping inmates not only with technical skills but also with a clearer vision of their future.
Work assignments are tailored rather than rigid. Tasks are distributed based on each individual’s health, education level, and learning capacity.
“Those with stronger abilities are given more demanding roles. For inmates from ethnic minority backgrounds or with limited education, we assign tasks suited to their capabilities. The goal is for everyone to learn at least one or two skills during their sentence,” Hai explained.
A key to reintegration
Rehabilitation outcomes are also a basis for considering leniency policies such as sentence reduction or amnesty.
From books in the library to sewing lines in the workshop, inmates are learning to rebuild their lives.
From a management perspective, Lieutenant Colonel Tran Quang Hieu, Deputy Director of Vinh Quang Prison, emphasized a broader, more human-centered approach.
“Ensuring human rights for inmates is not only about food, accommodation, or healthcare. More importantly, it is about giving them the opportunity to rebuild their lives,” he said.
Under Decree No. 118/2024/ND-CP guiding the Law on Execution of Criminal Judgments, inmates are entitled to wages based on their work performance and classification levels - ranging from good to poor - assessed quarterly. These earnings are provided upon completion of their sentences.
The prison places strong emphasis on infrastructure and living conditions, including accommodation, healthcare, and vocational training spaces. At the same time, inmates are trained in discipline and equipped with practical skills to support their reintegration into society.
Rehabilitation outcomes also play a role in eligibility for leniency policies such as sentence reduction, amnesty, or conditional early release. From the moment they enter the facility, inmates are informed of their rights and obligations, helping them understand the humane policies of the Party and the State.
“When they understand, they gain the motivation to change. In reality, most inmates show better rehabilitation outcomes once they are aware of this,” Hieu noted.
He added that many former inmates have successfully reintegrated, with some even becoming business owners and building stable lives. A number of them return to the prison on special occasions to share their stories, inspiring those still serving sentences.
“These stories have a powerful impact. They help others believe that they, too, can start over,” he said.
That belief is already taking root among younger inmates like Pham Duy Linh from Hanoi. During a brief conversation at the prison library, Linh revealed that instead of romance novels, he prefers reading business books, quietly nurturing plans for a future startup.
From the pages of books in the library to the steady rhythm of needles and thread in the workshop, inmates like Khanh and Linh are patiently learning how to rebuild their lives - guided by skill, discipline, and a growing sense of hope as they prepare for the day the gates open once again.
Vietnamnet.vn
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