How many times is an inmate in Vietnam entitled to meet with their relatives in a month? What are regulations on release of inmates in Vietnam?

1. How many times is an inmate in Vietnam entitled to meet with their relatives in a month?

Based on Articles 43, 52, 76 of the Vietnamese Law on Criminal Enforcement 2019, the number of times a inmate can meet their relatives is regulated depending on each subject. To be specific:

(1) Inmates aged 18 and above

- inmates aged 18 and above are allowed to meet their relatives once a month, with each meeting not exceeding one hour.

- Depending on the results of the sentence execution classification, education reform requirements, labor achievements, and study results, the meeting time may be extended but not exceeding three hours or they may meet their spouse in a private room for not more than 24 hours.

- If praised or recognized for merit, inmates are allowed to meet their relatives once more in a month. However, if violating the detention facility's regulations, they are allowed to meet their relatives once every two months, each meeting not exceeding one hour.

- Inmates held in disciplinary cells are not allowed to meet their relatives during that period.

(2) Inmates under 18 years old

- Inmates under 18 years old are allowed to meet their relatives up to three times a month, with each meeting not exceeding three hours.

- Based on the results of the sentence execution classification, education reform requirements, labor achievements, and study results, the prison warden may decide to extend the meeting time but not exceeding 24 hours.

- If praised, inmates under 18 years old are allowed to meet their relatives once more in a month.

- If held in disciplinary cells, inmates under 18 years old are also not allowed to meet their relatives during that period.

In Vietnam, inmates aged 18 and above can meet their relatives once a month, while inmates under 18 years old are allowed to meet their relatives up to three times a month. In the case of commendation or merit, they are allowed to meet one more time in a month.

2. What are regulations on the release of inmates in Vietnam?

In Vietnam, the release of inmates is carried out according to the provisions of Article 46 of the Vietnamese Law on Criminal Enforcement 2019 as follows:

(1) Two months before the end of the prison sentence, prisons, detention centers under the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of National Defense, provincial-level criminal enforcement agencies, and regional-level military criminal enforcement agencies notify the district-level criminal enforcement agencies, the commune-level People's Committees, agencies, or organizations where the released person will reside or work, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the case of foreign inmates.

The notification includes the results of the prison sentence execution, additional penalties that the inmate still has to serve, and other necessary information to consider, arrange and establish a normal life for that person.

If the place of residence for the released person is not determined, prisons, detention centers under the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of National Defense, provincial-level criminal enforcement agencies, and regional-level military criminal enforcement agencies shall propose the commune-level People's Committee where the inmate serves the sentence or other agencies, organizations to receive the released person.

(2) On the last day of the prison sentence, prisons, detention centers, provincial-level criminal enforcement agencies, and regional-level military criminal enforcement agencies shall complete procedures as prescribed by law to release the inmate;

Issue a certificate of completed prison sentence for the released person, provide an amount from the Community Reentry Fund, cover travel, and subsistence expenses for the journey back home or workplace; return all documents, personal items, money, and other property that the inmate has deposited at the place of detention.

(3) In case inmates are extracted for investigation, prosecution, trial purposes and the extraction period is two months or more, if the extraction time coincides with the remaining prison sentence, the authority receiving the extracted inmate is responsible for notifying as prescribed in section (1), issuing a certificate of completed prison sentence, releasing the extracted person, and resolving related procedures, duties, rights, and benefits according to the provisions of section (2) if the person is not detained for another crime as decided by the competent proceeding agency.

(4) Foreign inmates who have completed their prison sentences shall be issued a certificate of completed prison sentence and stay at a designated accommodation by the criminal enforcement management agency pending exit procedures.

(5) Agencies that issued the certificate of completed prison sentence are responsible for sending it to the National Judicial Record Center, the court that issued the execution decision, the agency responsible for executing additional penalties, the notified agency prescribed in section (1) and notifying in writing to the agency implementing the civil part of the criminal judgment or decision.

Best regards!

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