Synopsis: Prisoners are taught useful trades to prepare them for reintegration into the community upon release.

More than 8,000 inmates received vocational training in the first nine months of the year, with 262 earning certificates as authorities expanded programmes designed to support reintegration after release.

The General Department of Prisons provided training to 8,149 inmates, including 703 women, between January and September, according to figures published on October 21.

Programmes delivered directly and through partner organisations covered skills including tailoring, beauty services, construction, computer repair, electronics, and machinery maintenance. The department also developed small-scale industries, handicrafts, and agriculture within facilities.

According to the report, 4,521 inmates gained practical experience through occupational activities, while 1,209 received training from prison units and 2,419 participated in partner-run programmes.

Correctional education included literacy classes and foreign language instruction. A total of 1,589 inmates studied in 90 classes, while 2,133 learned basic literacy in their cells. Outreach sessions reached 67,941 inmates with instruction on prison regulations, drug issues, social morality, and the law.

Prisons also piloted the Nomad Lab project, an offline digital learning initiative across 29 facilities, involving 17,861 participants using 199 technological devices. Reading programmes remained active, with 47,438 inmates visiting libraries and 66,295 borrowing books. Prison libraries held a combined total of 84,477 books.

Cambodia has about 72,000 inmates in 25 prisons and four correctional education centres. Officials said the initiatives aimed to equip prisoners with employment prospects upon completion of their sentences.

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