Cambodia Ministry of Justice Inspects Juvenile Offender Rehabilitation Program Through Labor

Kim Santepheap, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Justice, accompanied by representatives from the General Department of Prisons, continued to lead a delegation to inspect the implementation of sentences for juvenile offenders at the Oddar Meanchey Provincial Prison. These juvenile offenders are undergoing rehabilitation through work that benefits front-line areas. The inspection visit to Oddar Meanchey Provincial Prison is the second destination, following the Education and Correction Center No. 4 in Battambang Province, where the Ministry of Justice delegation inspected the implementation of sentences for juvenile offenders. This inspection is being conducted after 790 juvenile offenders were transferred to continue serving their sentences in education and correction centers and prisons in these two border provinces. Of these, 651 were sent to Education and Correction Center No. 4 in Battambang Province, and another 139 juvenile offenders were sent to Oddar Meanchey Provincial Prison. The transfer of these juvenile offenders aims to enhance education, correction, and rehabilitation through participation in vocational training programs, focusing on agriculture and construction work, to build personal skills and to engage in activities that benefit the front-line battlefield. This policy is implemented in accordance with the order of the Prime Minister, Samdech Techo Hun Manet, who instructed the Ministry of Justice, the National Police General Commissariat, and the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces to study the legal aspects of utilizing juvenile offenders currently detained to assist in front-line work, such as planting vegetables and pouring concrete for trenches. According to Kim Santepheap, the purpose of this inspection is to evaluate the implementation of this mechanism, report to the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Justice, and seek guidance for future directions. The implementation of this mechanism shows that all juvenile offenders have demonstrated a spirit of awakening, strived to build themselves, and actively participated in the implementation of trained professional work with responsibility and notable results.