Every time we drive up to Prey Sar Prison, I think about how strange it feels. Every month, a few of us from the Returnee Integration Support Center (RISC) go to Prey Sar, the largest prison in Cambodia, to visit some returnees who are imprisoned there. Entering the prison complex feels nothing like I expect a prison to feel. Admittedly, I have never visited a prison in the US, or anywhere else, but in my mind prisons are dark and overwhelming concrete. I think of high walls around the complex, and large buffer zones around that, lots of security, and few people other than staff and security coming and going.
Prey Sar is not what I imagined. The dirt road leading up to the prison is lined with houses, printing shops, and coffee shops. While there is a security stop before the parking lot, there's a restaurant and small store after the stop. After we park, we receive our NGO passes, and go through another round of security, in the office behind the concrete wall of the prison. My RISC coworker presents our paperwork and the packages of toiletries we bring for the returnees are checked for contraband like illegal drugs, weapons, and SIM cards. After this we each get pat down and leave the security area.
There are three different visiting areas: a section where visitors and inmates are separated by a glass wall, an area where visitor can sit with inmates often used by families, and a building used by visiting NGOs, lawyers, and such. The building is surrounded by a garden, with trees and flowers lining the pathway, and little animal statues in the flowers. The building itself is concrete with open doorways and glasses windows, similar to many Cambodian buildings. There are three rooms, two for visitors and one for the guards in the center, and there are two benches in front of the building. Each of the visiting rooms has a table, a bench and several chairs. The area where the inmates are imprisoned is behind another walled area, with security officers manning the gate between the two sections.
There are three different visiting areas: a section where visitors and inmates are separated by a glass wall, an area where visitor can sit with inmates often used by families, and a building used by visiting NGOs, lawyers, and such. The building is surrounded by a garden, with trees and flowers lining the pathway, and little animal statues in the flowers. The building itself is concrete with open doorways and glasses windows, similar to many Cambodian buildings. There are three rooms, two for visitors and one for the guards in the center, and there are two benches in front of the building. Each of the visiting rooms has a table, a bench and several chairs. The area where the inmates are imprisoned is behind another walled area, with security officers manning the gate between the two sections.
Currently, there are about 15 returnees imprisoned in Cambodia. These men (they are all men at this time) for the most part have found themselves caught up in similar systems of illegal activities as they were in the States, and are imprisoned for minor crimes for a few years. When RISC visits, the returnees are notified and come to the visiting area to speak with us. They all wear orange or blue shirts and pants, depending upon their conviction status, and rubber sandals. The men always great us cheerily, and sit and chat with us as we give them some cash to buy food and water, and the toiletries packages.
Prisons in Cambodia do not provide much for inmate. Prisoners are expected to pay for food and drinking water, and are not given toiletries. Many prisoners have family who will bring such things to them, but for many returnees they don't have family here to care for them in such ways so RISC fills that gap. We've also brought the returnees new sandals and donated medicine such as aspirin on occasion.
While many people react negatively, or worry for me, when I tell them that part of my work is visiting prisoners, it's honestly one of my favorite responsibilities. The guys are always happy to see us, to have people to speak to in English and to hear about the outside world. They tell me about their families, especially if they've recent had a visit- one gentleman loves to tell me about his young son- and they always ask me about my work. They complain about their sentences and the heat. Several of them commented when I came to visit after cutting the pink out of my hair.
Prisons in Cambodia do not provide much for inmate. Prisoners are expected to pay for food and drinking water, and are not given toiletries. Many prisoners have family who will bring such things to them, but for many returnees they don't have family here to care for them in such ways so RISC fills that gap. We've also brought the returnees new sandals and donated medicine such as aspirin on occasion.
While many people react negatively, or worry for me, when I tell them that part of my work is visiting prisoners, it's honestly one of my favorite responsibilities. The guys are always happy to see us, to have people to speak to in English and to hear about the outside world. They tell me about their families, especially if they've recent had a visit- one gentleman loves to tell me about his young son- and they always ask me about my work. They complain about their sentences and the heat. Several of them commented when I came to visit after cutting the pink out of my hair.
