Regulations on cultural education for inmates in Vietnam from November 15, 2024

Regulations on cultural education for inmates in Vietnam from November 15, 2024 (Internet image)

On April 30, 2024, the Government of Vietnam issued Decree 118/2024/ND-CP detailing the implementation of certain provisions of the Law on the Execution of Criminal Judgments 2019.

Cultural education for inmates in Vietnam from November 15, 2024

Article 13 of Decree 118/2024/ND-CP stipulates the cultural education for inmates in Vietnam as follows:

- Detention facilities for inmates shall organize literacy programs for inmates who are illiterate or have relapsed into illiteracy. For inmates under 18 years old who are illiterate or have not completed primary education, completing primary education is mandatory. For those who have not completed secondary education, based on the inmate’s records and academic reports, a secondary education program can be organized via the continuous education system suited to the facility's conditions. inmates are encouraged to self-study, and foreign inmates or ethnic minorities who do not know Vietnamese are encouraged to learn the language. Inmates who complete their prison term while studying will have their academic results preserved to continue at educational institutions within the national education system.

- Depending on the program, appropriate textbooks and educational materials shall be used as per regulations and guidance from the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam. inmates' cultural studies time should be a minimum of two sessions per week, each session lasting four hours, decided by the Head of the detention facility, excluding Sundays, holidays, and Tet. Detention facilities should organize cultural classes for inmates and Vietnamese language classes for those who cannot speak Vietnamese (standard dialect). The Head of the detention facility will decide on suitable forms, times, and teaching methods based on actual conditions and inmates' cognizance. The state encourages the involvement of inmates’ families, and other organizations and individuals in providing teaching materials and recreational items, provided they conform to the law.

- Teachers providing cultural education to inmates can be staff or officers from detention facilities or educators from local educational institutions. Reformed inmates, with good academic qualifications, teaching ability, and good conduct, who are not masterminds, ringleaders, hardened criminals, aggressive, having infectious diseases, with a history of drug addiction, or those who have committed national security offenses, may assist officers in teaching. The Head of the detention facility will affirm the inmate's completion of literacy programs (if not completed) in phases as per the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam.

- The Department of Education and Training, and the Office of Education and Training where the detention facility is located shall coordinate in teaching cultural programs to inmates, directing educational establishments to send teachers to teach inmates, managing, and conducting evaluations in accordance with the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam regulations. They will also organize professional and pedagogical training for staff and officers teaching cultural programs to inmates. Detention facilities should provide appropriate halls or classrooms equipped for teaching and learning.

More details can be found in Decree 118/2024/ND-CP which comes into force in Vietnam from November 15, 2024, replacing Decree 133/2020/ND-CP detailing the implementation of certain provisions of the Law on the Execution of Criminal Judgments 2019.

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