The prison education program was launched in 2012 thanks to co-funding from the European Union and the AFDand in collaboration with Cambodia's General Department of Prisons. The project then developed over nine years with the support of the AFD, then the Pierre Bellon Foundation.It has enabled us to set up libraries in all Cambodian prisons, and to offer education, training and rehabilitation programs. Since 2021, the 28 libraries have been managed autonomously by the prisons themselves, with the support of the GDP.
This program contributes to the education and preparation for socio-professional reintegration of over 42,000 inmates in the kingdom's 28 prisons. The aim is to improve the well-being of inmates and reduce violence and recidivism, particularly among young people aged 18 to 25, who make up 60% of the prison population.
In addition to access to a library with a computerized lending system, this program also offers:
- Literacy classes conducted in partnership with the Provincial Directorates of Education
- Workshops to prepare for socio-professional reintegration led by the NGOs Mith Samlanh and M'Lop Tapang
- Vocational training sessions conducted by the Provincial Vocational Training Centers
context
The majority of Cambodia's 42,000 prisoners come from poor, marginalized backgrounds. Most of them have no professional qualifications, and 30-40% have no basic knowledge of reading, writing or arithmetic.
Institutions such as the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labor offer a growing number of educational services and vocational training courses, but opportunities for the educational development and social reintegration of prisoners with a view to vocational preparation remain inadequate.
28
libraries for 42 000 detainees
10 000
readers per month in 2023
1000
beneficiaries of literacy classes
15 000
beneficiaries of libraries with digital labs
Sipar and its partners are convinced of the positive impact of libraries in prison. They wanted to go a step further by equipping them with a digital laboratory of five to ten computers, the contents of which can be consulted by anyone, offline.
These interactive digital tools open up new opportunities for inmates: to continue their secondary education, acquire technical skills (agriculture, cooking, mechanics, etc.), deepen their command of a foreign language (English, Chinese, Thai, etc.), strengthen their practical life skills (financial management, preparation for employment, management of a micro- company...) and develop their knowledge of the basics of computer science.
This program represents a major innovation in the Cambodian context. The rapid advances in the digital field in the country are such that its mastery is becoming more and more necessary, especially for young people who have broken socialization.
Published by Sipar in August 2020, the autobiographical novel written by a former inmate of Preah Vihear prison lifts the veil on daily life in detention, tracing the author's tumultuous journey.
The novel is available in the libraries of the 28 prisons.