Prisoners Preparation for Integration

Food Pack for Unvisited Prisoners

I was in prison and you came to visit me." Matthew 25:36 106 prisoners received food packs from Bayside Church, US. Appreciate the strong from the Ministry of Interior, Prison and Provincial Governor to welcome.

We would give our profound gratitude and thanks for the kind donation from Bethel Mission

Mr. Buntha, the Prison Director, Koh Kong, said "It is my privilege and honor to get supported from Donor and Bethel Mission. I would give my high value for the compassion to connect clean water for the prisoners and prison staff. We had used the water from rice field and pond for more than 15 years. The water negatively affected their daily health.

On behalf of the prisoners, I would call for another support of providing knowledge and skills training to the inmates in Koh Kong prison so that they are equipped have additional capacity building before their return home. I do hope the Donor and Bethel Mission will continue to support.”

Bethel Mission designed the projects of Health, Soft and Life Skills, Spiritual Nurture and Formation, and Reintegration to help the prisoners and prepare their return home.

This in prison project will make the prisoners feel accepted, a safe place to be honest about our struggles, confidences are kept, no judgment and no fixing or giving advice that has not been asked for during the Recovery processes, only God the Lord Jesus Christ can touch the areas to recover them.

In addition, BMO hope the prisoners can well prepare for their release and return to live in harmony with their families and communities with some skills training including Soft, Life, and Job Seeking skills.

Recently, Bethel Mission supported some medicine to Correctional Center 2 (CC2) other prisons so that the skin diseases can be treated. 

CC2 is the center where women and young prisoners detained. Her Excellency Sok Sambath, the undersecretary of state of the Ministry of Interior responsible for General Department of Prisons, told, “The medicine is very important for those with skin diseases.” She asked if Bethel Mission could provide more support as there are many prisoners facing such the issues.”

However, Bethel Mission did not support the general health care, but also the pandemics of Covid-19 in prisons.   We visited CC2 and found that 783 women prisoners and 392 young inmates are in the urgent need of medicines, Covid-Rapid Tests, women hygiene, nutrition, handwashing facilities and water filtration systems.

"Since 2006, we cannot have enough rain water to prisoners for their drinking, bathroom and toilets. We spent much money to buy water for prisoners. We do not have truck to collect water from the pond of the local people. We have to ask permission from the provincial governor to borrow fire truck and collect water, but it is hard to do so. We have to use the rain water in the rice field behind the prison, but the water is being dried from December and we do not water from January-June until the rain come again. Some time, we still do not water in rainy season owing to the climate change, no rain, no water,” said the prison director.

Water connection of 2,800 meters (2.8km) started in order to improve health, hygiene and sanitation of 650 prisoners, 56 women, in Koh Kong prison with the total budget of USD17,731. However, the prison director contributed USD3,000 for the water connection deposit (USD1,000) and labor cost (USD2,000) and Bethel Mission paid USD14,730.52 so that the complete water project accomplished.

"On behalf of the prisoners, I would like to express my deep gratitude to Bethel Mission for the kind support to provide the clean water connection for us. I have been imprisoned for many years, but I have not had any clean water to drink, except water from the pond in rice field and borewell. We faced much difficulties in dry season. With the clean water from Bethel Mission, we will have enough water to drink and use daily. We are excited and happy to have clean water. We will not be worried about the water shortage anymore.

Mr. Khen, the prison staff, said "Since 2006, I as well as the prisoners and all prison staff, used the water from the rice field and pond and we faced difficulties in dry season that made us sore throat, scabies, and diarrhea. We had to spend much money buying water from out sources.” After the water connection, Mr. Khen impressed that “We felt contented and would like to thank the Donor and Bethel Mission for the generous support and help us. We are so delighted to have clean water because we can drink and have good daily use in prison. It also helps us reduce the daily expenses and time on water collection.”