Thai jail plans death-row web cam

A prison in the Thai capital, Bangkok, is planning to broadcast inmates' daily lives, as well as their final moments before execution, live on the internet.

Rights group Amnesty International has criticised the plan, which prison officials say will deter criminals.

A spokesman for the Bangkwang prison said the scheme will highlight the risks of drug dealing, which carries the death sentence in Thailand.

Almost 1,000 of Bangkwang's 6,000 inmates are on death row.

Thai authorities have mounted an aggressive campaign against drugs in recent years.

Thousands of people suspected of drugs offences have been killed during the crackdown, sparking criticism from human rights groups.

'Bangkok Hilton'

Amnesty International described the prison web cam plan as an infringement of human rights and called upon the Thai authorities to review it.

No date has yet been set for broadcasts from the Bangkwang prison, nicknamed the "Bangkok Hilton" by Westerners, but cameras are said to have already been installed.

Prison spokesman Nathee Chitsawang told the Associated Press news agency that the internet "will show how we treat convicts in their last minutes, including the preparation process".

But, he said, viewers will only see snippets of the final moments leading up to an execution.

ACCOMODATION IN BANGKWANG CENTRAL PRISON

The three prisons that I have been in since November 2001 are Bombat, Lard Yao and Bangkwang (Bangkok Hilton). Earliernotes of mine, now in safe keeping, describe the punishing conditions of Bombat. Some of the pictures on my site, and others, support what we say. The embassy would have you believe we are lying! The easy way to find out is to come to “Dieland” and get arrested. The judges and police are so corrupt that unless you pay them off you are certain to get a custodial sentence; even if you are innocent!

In the Hilton the cells are 6 x 4 meters. Each of the main buildings has a total of 46 cells (usable), on 2 floors. Some cells have been subdivided and these bring cell count to 50 (25 on each floor). The main buildings are 1-6. Building 1 is being renovated (at inmate cost) and is out of commission for the next 12 months or so. Distributed amongst 5 buildings are some 4757 inmates. (01-05-2006)

Two buildings have “Death Rows”. Bld. 2 and 5. the Hilton has a current population of over 830 inmates on death. Death row is always situated on the ground floor. Death row housing is identical to “normal” inmate housing.

Total available space per cell is 24 SQ.M the toilet/shower area takes up just over 1SQ.M in each cell. This allows an average of 19 prisoners per cell. Which in turn permits an average living area of marginally more than 1 SQ.M per inmate. To emphasize just how little space this is, take 15 sheets of A4 paper and lay them out in a 3x5 rectangle. This is the extend of my living space for over 16 hours every day. Death row inmates are locked in the cells for better than 20 hours each day!

At the moment the inmate population in the Hilton is considered low. Peak occupancy is set around 8500, and average cell numbers have reached 27 – 30 inmates. Building 6 houses 855 prisoners. During the time I’ve been here the number has closely approached 1200. it has gone as low as 780. I stress it is cyclic. At the moment the numbers are rising again. By this time next year they likely to back around 1200.

The deputy General of the Department of Corrections, henceforth denoted as the Department of Correction, Nahtee, “Khun Nasty” Jitsawang, claims to have a master degree in Criminology from Florida State University. Many Thais claiming honours from overseas Universities fail the close inspection test of their alleged degree, Khun Nasty’s degree probably originated from the Khao San Road.

Khun Nasty is no stranger to manipulating government figures. To lessen the perceived impact of “Dieland’s” inmate population on prison overcrowding, Nasty boasts that only 168.000 are in fact in prison, he forgets to add in:

1.      Those on remand

2.      Young offenders (those under 26 yrs.)

3.      Females

The real number is 350.000 – and rising daily.

This is a report of:

Rien Parlevliet, prisoner in Bangkwang Central Prison Bld. 6 I am Dutch and 52 years old and stay almost for 5 years in this Hotel Hell “Hotel Hilton”. TOTALLY INNOCENT.