No luck for Yingluck: Former PM ineligible for prison programme
Yingluck Shinawatra, former Prime Minister of Thailand, will not qualify for release under the forthcoming alternative prison detention programme if she returns to Thailand, as she does not meet the new eligibility criteria, stated Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong.
Yingluck was sentenced to five years imprisonment in August 2017. New regulations by the Department of Corrections (DoC) allow only those with sentences not exceeding four years to be considered for the alternative programme, as reiterated by Tawee and DoC director-general Sahakarn Phetnarin.
Now 57, Yingluck was sentenced in absentia in 2017 by the Supreme Court’s Criminal Case Division for Holders of Political Positions. She was found guilty of neglecting to prevent corruption in her government’s rice-pledging scheme, resulting in state losses of approximately 500 billion baht. Since then, she has been residing abroad.
The minister refrained from confirming whether Yingluck might become eligible if her sentence is reduced through a petition.
The minister highlighted Thailand’s need to align with international corrections standards, noting the country’s prisons are, on average, about 90 years old, with around 50 in poor condition. Due to budget constraints, only one new prison can be built annually, resulting in overcrowded facilities.
“Several other countries have adopted similar programmes.”
A Thai study revealed that prisoners allowed to serve part of their sentences outside prison have a lower reoffending rate compared to those who complete their sentences in prison, reported Bangkok Post.
Denying rumours that the programme was designed to aid Yingluck’s return, the minister stated, “The new option wasn’t tailormade for any specific person but for all who are eligible to receive it.”
While the programme has gained approval in public hearings, some issues remain unresolved before its implementation.
In related news, Yingluck’s brother Thaksin delivered a controversial speech containing racist remarks about international models from Africa while supporting his daughter and Pheu Thai Party members in the Provincial Administrative Organisation chief election campaign in the northern province of Chiang Rai.
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