Justice Ministry and PTT plan jobs for inmates

BANGKOK, March 21 (TNA) -- Products made by prisoners will be available at PTT’s gas stations nationwide to help prevent them from doing wrong again after being released. The new development resulted from a project of the Justice Ministry and PTT Oil and Retail Business PCL (PTTOR). Both sides signed a pact at PTT’s head office to implement the project. Presiding over the signing ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Prajin Juntong said the Justice Ministry and PTTOR would market products made by prisoners and those on parole at 1,600 PTT stations and 2,400 Amazon coffee outlets throughout the country. Besides, PTTOR would offer vocational training to inmates and those under correctional programs so that they could make their livings after being freed. The initiative responded to the high tendency of former prisoners recommitting crime, ACM Prajin said. According to him, there are about 200,000 people on parole, 390,000 prisoners and 30,000 young people under control by the Department of Juvenile Observation and Protection. The signed cooperation project would continue for one year from April this year to March next year. Good inmates would be selected to participate in the project, ACM Prajin said. PTTOR chairman Attapol Rerkpiboon said inmates made good products and PTTOR would distribute them to its gas stations in areas with relevant market demand. Besides, a new gas station would be built at the Justice Ministry where inmates could be trainees, he said. (TNA)