Cook & Coff, a coffee shop located in Khao Khuen Lan, eastern Thailand, is uniquely managed by Thailand’s Department of Corrections and operated daily by prisoners. One inmate, after serving six months in a maximum-security prison in Khlong Phai, was transferred to the more open Khao Khuean Lan facility where he learned barista skills. Each day, after finishing his shift at 3pm, he returns to prison, gradually reacclimating to life outside.

This initiative is part of a broader mindset shift across Thailand’s 143 correctional facilities. Prison managers are implementing reforms inspired by international frameworks such as the Nelson Mandela Rules—named after the former South African President and anti-apartheid icon—and the Kyoto Model Strategies on Reducing Reoffending. These guidelines set minimum prison conditions and promote safety, security, and human dignity.

Thitiphan Manuchantrarut, director of the Khao Prik Agricultural and Industrial Correctional Institution in Sikhio, northeastern Thailand, emphasized, “The real problem lies in society.” Sukanya Thainoy, a former training academy director, added, “You will never waste a penny if you invest in the Nelson Mandela rules.” Permpol Thiendusit, president of the Songkhla Central Prison in Southern Thailand, highlighted the importance of positive attitudes, stating, “If prison officers are smiling, prisoners will be smiling, then society will smile.”

These efforts reflect a commitment to rehabilitation and reintegration, aiming to reduce reoffending and support prisoners’ transition back to society.

Sources