What is the maximum number of letters that inmates in Vietnam can send to their friends in a month?

What is the maximum number of letters that inmates in Vietnam can send to their friends in a month?

Pursuant to Article 54 of the Law on Execution of Criminal Judgments in 2019 stipulating regime for communication of inmates as follows:

1. Inmates may send 2 letters a month. Superintendents of prisons or detention centers and heads of criminal judgment execution agencies of district-level police offices shall examine and censor letters sent and received by inmates.

2. Inmates may have domestic telephone conversations with their relatives once a month for not more than 10 minutes each, except for urgent cases. Superintendents of prisons or detention centers and heads of criminal judgment execution agencies of district-level police offices shall consider allowing inmates to have telephone conversations and control this form of communication.

3. Inmates shall pay for their communication prescribed in Clauses 1 and 2 of this Article.

Pursuant to Article 11 of the Circular 14/2020/TT-BCA stipulating as follows:

When meeting the people specified in Article 4 of this Circular, the inmate may receive or send letters and gifts as prescribed in Clause 3, Article 52 of the Law on Execution of Criminal Judgments, but not exceeding 03 kg in a single meeting; In addition, each month, inmates are entitled to receive gifts sent by their relatives by post twice, each time not exceeding 03 kg. If sending for only once, it shall not exceeding 06 kg according to the provisions of Clause 4, Article 52 of the Law on Execution of Criminal Judgments. In case an inmate refuses to receive gifts delivered by relatives or sent by post, he/she must make a record and notify the sender to receive it back. Within 15 days from the date of sending the notice, if no one comes to receive it, a record shall be made and destroyed in the presence of the inmate. Letters and objects of prisoners must be carefully checked before being brought into the detention facility, in case prohibited objects are detected, they must be handled according to regulations.

In cases where the prisoner cannot see his relatives and receive gifts for a long time as prescribed, the weight of the gift may be larger and decided by the head of the detention facility.

2. Inmates are allowed to send 02 letters in a month. Before sending, if detecting bad contents, affecting the inmate's sentence execution, they shall make a record and not send them.

...

Accordingly, prisoners are sent 2 letters per month and receive letters. Superintendent of prisons, superintendents of detention camps and heads of criminal judgment execution agencies of district-level police offices must check and censor letters sent and received by inmates.

Is it permissible for inmates in Vietnam to receive letters from their friends via postal?

Pursuant to Clause 3 and 4, Article 52 of the Law on Execution of Criminal Judgments in 2019 stipulating regime for visits of relatives and receipt of presents as follows:

3. When meeting their relatives and representatives of agencies or organizations or other individuals, inmates may receive letters, cash and articles, except those on the ban list. For cash, inmates shall deposit it with the prison, detention center or criminal judgment execution agency of the district-level police office for management. The management and use of articles and cash of inmates conforms with Points a, b and c Clause 3 Article 26 of this Law.

4. Inmates may receive cash and articles from their relatives twice a month by post. Prisons, detention centers and criminal judgment execution agencies of district-level police offices shall receive cash and articles sent to inmates from their relatives and open, check and handle them under law and deal with articles under the ban list as per the law.

Pursuant to Clause 1 Article 9 of the Circular 14/2020/TT-BCA stipulating as follows:

1. When meeting the people specified in Article 4 of this Circular, the inmate may receive or send letters and gifts as prescribed in Clause 3, Article 52 of the Law on Execution of Criminal Judgments, but not exceeding 03 kg in a single meeting; In addition, each month, inmates are entitled to receive gifts sent by their relatives by post twice, each time not exceeding 03 kg, if sending once, not exceeding 06 kg according to the provisions of Clause 4, Article 52 of the Law on Execution of Criminal Judgments. In case an inmate refuses to receive gifts delivered by relatives or sent by post, he/she must make a record and notify the sender to receive it back. Within 15 days from the date of sending the notice, if no one comes to receive it, a record shall be made and destroyed in the presence of the inmate. Letters and objects of prisoners must be carefully checked before being brought into the detention facility, in case prohibited objects are detected, they must be handled according to regulations.

In cases where the prisoner cannot see his relatives and receive gifts for a long time as prescribed, the weight of the gift may be larger and decided by the head of the detention facility.

Thus, only the inmate's relatives can send objects by post to the inmate, so friends cannot send letters to the inmate by post. In addition, prisoners are only allowed to receive letters from friends when they can meet these people.

Is it permissible for inmates in Vietnam to be visited by their friends?

Pursuant to Clause 2 Article 52 of the Law on Execution of Criminal Judgments in 2019 stipulating regime for visits of relatives and receipt of presents as follows:

2. When a representative of an agency or organization or another individual requests to meet an inmate, the superintendent of the prison or detention center or the head of the criminal judgment execution agency of the district-level police office shall consider and settle the request.

Pursuant to Article 4 of the Circular 182/2019/TT-BQP stipulating as follows:

1. Subjects allowed to visit inmates include: grandfathers and grandmothers; grandparents; Birth parents; parents-in-law; legally adopted parents; wife or husband; natural children, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, legally adopted children; siblings; brother, sister, sister-in-law, brother-in-law; wife's brothers and sisters (or husband's); aunts, uncles, uncles, nieces, nephews, the number of relatives to visit each inmate is not more than 03 people.

2. Representatives of agencies, organizations or individuals other than those specified in Clause 1 of this Article may visit inmates if the head of the detention facility deems it appropriate to the requirements of crime prevention and control and the management, education and re-education of prisoners.

According to the above provisions, the inmate's friends can visit the inmate if the head of the criminal judgment execution agency of the district-level police office considers, decides and agrees.

Best regards!