Instructions on the execution of parole in Vietnam

Instructions on the execution of parole in Vietnam (Internet image)

1. Instructions on the execution of parole in Vietnam

Article 59 of the Law on Execution of Criminal Judgments 2019 stipulates the execution of parole in Vietnam as follows:

- After receiving a decision on parole, the prison, detention center, or criminal judgment execution agency of district-level police office shall post up a list of inmates granted parole at the place of detention. After the decision on parole takes effect, the prison, detention center, or criminal judgment execution agency of district-level police office shall issue certificates of parole to eligible inmates and release them. The probation period shall begin from the date on which decision on parole takes effect.

The prison, detention center, or criminal judgment execution agency of district-level police office shall hand inmate dossiers over to the criminal judgment execution agency of district-level police office where the parolee comes to reside or the criminal judgment execution agency of military zone.

- The criminal judgment execution agency of district-level police office where the parolee comes to reside or the criminal judgment execution agency of military zone shall receive and maintain the inmate dossiers; prepare supervision dossiers of parolees and give them to the People’s Committee of commune or military unit in charge.

Within 5 days from the parole date, the parolee must present himself/herself at the People’s Committee of commune or the military unit in charge to commit to fulfill his/her obligations, except for force majeure events or objective hindrance. After the above 5-day time limit, if the parolee fails to present himself/herself, the People’s Committee of commune or the military unit in charge shall summon him/her to the head office to make the commitment. If he/she fails to present himself/herself as summoned or make such a commitment, the commune police or military unit shall make a report on his/her breach of obligations.

The People’s Committee of commune or military unit in charge shall send reports on parolees’ presence and commitments to district-level police office or criminal judgment execution agency of military zone.

- If the parolee under management of the military has no longer served in the military, the criminal judgment execution agency of military zone shall deliver such parolee enclosed with his/her inmate dossier to the criminal judgment execution agency of district-level police office where he/she comes to reside; prepare supervision dossier of the parolee and give it to the People’s Committee of commune in charge.

- On the final day of the probation period, the criminal judgment execution agency of district-level police office or of military zone in charge of the parolee shall issue a certificate of complete serving of prison sentence and send it to the same-level procuracy and court which has issued the decision on parole and the court which has issued the judgment execution decision, the prison, detention center, or criminal judgment execution agency of district-level police office or of military zone where such person has served the sentence, National Center for Judicial Records and the People’s Committee of commune where he/she comes to reside.

- If the parolee dies, the People’s Committee of commune or military unit in charge shall report the criminal judgment execution agency of district-level police office or of military zone to notify the court which issued the judgment execution decision. Within 3 working days after receiving the notice, the court which issued the judgment execution decision shall issue a decision to terminate judgment execution and send it the same-level procuracy, criminal judgment execution agency of district-level police office or of military zone, the People’s Committee of commune or the military unit in charge and Department of Justice of province where the court which issued the decision is based.

2. Time for consideration of parole in Vietnam

According to Article 57 of the Law on Execution of Criminal Judgments 2019, the consideration of parole shall be carried out 3 times a year: at the end of the first quarter, the second quarter and the end of the year.

To Quoc Trinh

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