Once released from prison, inmates in Vietnam will be provided with support in legal procedures and psychological counseling

Illustration (Source: Internet)

Under Article 5 of Decree 49/2020/ND-CP, it is clearly stated that during the period of two months before the inmate completes their prison sentence or after the assessment results agree to recommend amnesty, early release on probation by the competent authority in Vietnam, the inmate detention facilities organize psychological counseling and support legal procedures for inmates.

Firstly, psychological counseling aims to provide inmates with knowledge, helping them orientate and improve their ability to self-solve difficulties and obstacles encountered during the process of reintegrating into the community in Vietnam. The counseling content includes:

- Emotional, marriage, family, and health counseling; prevention of drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, and social ills;

- Counseling to eliminate feelings of inferiority and self-deprecation; building willpower, confidence, ability to handle and solve issues arising during the process of community reintegration;

- Counseling on labor, employment, using acquired skills, social insurance, and other related issues.

Specifically, the methods of psychological counseling for inmates are:

- The inmate detention facilities organize for inmates to register counseling needs using a form listing the content that needs to be consulted or proactively detect issues that need counseling, and then assign experienced and knowledgeable officers to directly counsel inmates. Counseling can be carried out individually or in groups with inmates having the same counseling issues;

- Private counseling sessions must be conducted in consulting rooms equipped with desks, chairs, and necessary facilities for counseling.

Secondly, inmates preparing to complete their prison sentence are supported with legal procedures in Vietnam such as: residence registration; civil status registration; issuance of citizen identity cards; loans, business registration, labor contract signing, and other administrative procedures as prescribed by law.

The inmate detention facilities can invite officials from the Departments of Justice, Education and Training, Lawyers' Association, Youth Union, universities, HIV/AIDS Prevention Centers, Employment Service Centers, enterprises, or other functional agencies to provide counseling and support legal procedures for inmates. Individuals from State agencies or social organizations who come to provide counseling and support legal procedures for inmates must be introduced in writing by the leaders of those agencies or organizations, and approved by the Warden of the prison or temporary detention facility, or the Head of the district-level criminal judgment execution agency.

For details, see Decree 49/2020/ND-CP effective from June 15, 2020.

Le Hai

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