Thanks to the care, education, vocational training, and reintegration support provided by the prison, many inmates have found opportunities to rebuild their lives, improve themselves, and prepare for a smooth return to the community.
Fostering Bonds of Love
On the morning of November 12, Gia Trung Prison (under the General Department of Prison Management, Ministry of Public Security—located in Hra and Ayun communes) was more bustling than usual as 230 delegates and relatives of 110 inmates, representing over 3,500 inmates currently serving sentences there, gathered for the 2025 Inmate Family Representatives Conference. Handshakes, smiles, and tears of reunion between inmates and their loved ones painted a moving picture of family bonds, where hope is rekindled behind bars.
Inmate Phan Thi Thom (Subdivision No. 5) shared emotionally: “It’s been over two years since I last saw my parents. I was so happy to hug and hold their hands again. I was able to share many things with them and have lunch together after the conference. This gives me more motivation to strive during my sentence. I will strictly follow the rules, work hard on self-improvement, and hope to benefit from the State’s leniency policies.”
Nearby, Mr. Cao Thanh Vu (resident of Thong Nhat ward) could not hide his joy at seeing his son, Cao Thanh Nhan, who is serving his sentence at the prison: “I am grateful to the Board of Management and officers of Gia Trung Prison for organizing this conference. Thanks to this, I was able to meet my son. Hearing that he was selected to attend the conference due to good conduct, I am happy to see his progress. This meaningful reunion gives my son more motivation to reform and return home soon.”
Colonel Dao Ngoc Sy, Warden of Gia Trung Prison, said: The conference is a regular activity of the unit. It provides an opportunity for families to meet and better understand the rehabilitation process of their loved ones, while also reinforcing hope, the desire to start anew, and demonstrating the State’s leniency policies. Through the conference, prison staff can also promptly understand the concerns of families and continue to accompany and educate inmates towards positive change.
Sowing Seeds of Hope and Reform
According to Gia Trung Prison, in recent years, the unit has strictly implemented the 2019 Law on Execution of Criminal Judgments, ensuring adequate food, accommodation, medical care, visitation rights, the ability to send gifts, and the regular organization of family conferences. As a result, education and rehabilitation efforts have achieved many positive outcomes. Since the beginning of 2025, 1,951 inmates have had their sentences reduced and 356 have been granted amnesty, reuniting with their families.
Alongside education, Gia Trung Prison places great emphasis on vocational training and career orientation for inmates. Courses in tailoring, household electrical work, safe vegetable cultivation, furniture making, and rubber tapping are regularly organized, tailored to the gender, health, and aspirations of the learners. Since the beginning of 2025, seven classes have been held, with 245 inmates completing their courses and receiving vocational certificates.
Inmate Le Thi Huyen (Subdivision No. 5) shared: “Since entering the prison, I have learned tailoring. Thanks to the dedicated guidance of the officers, I now know how to repair and sew clothes. After my release, I hope to open a small tailor shop to rebuild my life and support my family.”
Many inmates have found confidence and self-worth through the vocational classes organized by Gia Trung Prison. Not a few, after being granted amnesty or having their sentences reduced, have returned to society and secured stable jobs. Lieutenant Colonel Ngo The Tinh, Deputy Head of the Planning, Vocational Training, and Construction Team, said: “Vocational training helps inmates understand the value of labor and respect themselves. When they are released, they have skills, a better outlook on life, and are less likely to reoffend. That is the greatest success of our education and rehabilitation work.”
In addition to education and vocational training, Gia Trung Prison also supports inmates in difficult circumstances, those who rarely receive family visits, and children under 36 months living with their mothers in prison through the “Golden Heart” fund. On holidays and Tet, the unit gives gifts to these inmates.
Furthermore, the prison has established a Community Reintegration Fund, contributed by officers, soldiers, benefactors, inmates’ families, and a portion of inmates’ labor earnings. From December 2024 to now, the prison has distributed over VND 860 million to 1,274 inmates who have completed their sentences. Each gift is a message of encouragement and heartfelt support from those working in criminal justice, helping to spread humanitarian values and motivate inmates to reform and benefit from the State’s leniency policies.