The family of an inmate share a meal at Gia Trung Prison (Gia Lai). VNA/VNS Photo Hoài Nam

GIA LAI — The warm and heartfelt year-end meal brings joy and encouragement to inmates serving their prison sentences.

The event is organised by Gia Trung Prison (under the General Department of Prison Management, Compulsory Education Facilities, and Juvenile Reform Schools of the Ministry of Public Security, located in Gia Lai Province).

Even within the special environment of a prison, inmates still get to experience a cosy atmosphere with traditional dishes such as bánh chưng (square sticky rice cake), braised pork, giò chả (Vietnamese pork sausage), and familiar vegetables.

More than just a meal, this event is an opportunity for 40 well-rehabilitated inmates and their family members to feel the care and attention from the prison's Board of Officers, Management Board, and the broader community.

Inmate Lê Quý Phóng, currently serving a 16-year sentence, said: "Over the past year, the Officers’ Council at Gia Trung Prison has taken great care of us, providing favourable conditions for meals, living arrangements, education, labour, rehabilitation, and medical care.

"Additionally, we are allowed to meet our families. Today’s year-end banquet is a precious opportunity for us to reunite with our loved ones. It serves as a great motivation for me to strive harder in rehabilitation, comply with prison regulations, overcome my past mistakes and hopefully receive the government’s leniency policies in the near future."

Similarly, inmate Nguyễn Lam Sơn, serving a 16-year sentence and currently in his third year at Gia Trung Prison, said: "During my time here, I have received good care from the prison staff and visits from my family.

"Being able to sit down and share a meal in such a warm and joyful atmosphere makes me very happy. I promise my family that I will continue to work hard in rehabilitation so that I can earn an early release under the state’s clemency policies."

The year-end reunion meal with families for inmates at Gia Trung Prison (Gia Lai). —  VNA/VNS Photo Hoài Nam

During her visit to share a meal with her son Nguyễn Hoàng Ninh, who is serving his sentence at Subdivision No. 3, Nguyễn Thị Lệ Thành expressed deep emotions:

She said: "No one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes at some point. This is a profound lesson that my son will carry with him for the rest of his life. I encouraged him to stay strong, follow the prison regulations, and strive for an early return to our family."

Currently, Gia Trung Prison houses, manages and rehabilitates over 3,500 inmates. Between December 16, 2023, and December 6, 2024, the facility granted sentence reductions in three rounds to over 1,900 inmates and conditionally released 61 inmates in three rounds.

Senior Lieutenant Colonel Trần Văn Mai, Deputy Warden of Gia Trung Prison, emphasised that the prison constantly strives to provide the best possible conditions for inmates to rehabilitate and reintegrate into society.

The year-end meal serves as a moment for inmates to feel a sense of closeness and encouragement, fostering a mindset of self-improvement and reformation. Events like this also help reduce tension and contribute to maintaining order within the prison.

Inmates at Gia Trung Prison (Gia Lai) reunite with their families during the year-end meal. — VNA/VNS Photo Hoài Nam

While many inmates have made significant efforts to reform, work hard and study diligently, some still do not yet meet the minimum time requirements for clemency policies.

The annual year-end meal organised by Gia Trung Prison is a symbol of compassion, care and responsibility from the prison’s Management Board and Officers’ Council toward the inmates. It also serves as a bridge for families to reunite with incarcerated loved ones during Tết, encouraging inmates to stay committed to self-improvement and rehabilitation.

For Tết 2025, the prison’s Golden Heart Fund has allocated support for 181 inmates who face severe economic hardships and had no family visits in 2024, providing them with VNĐ27 million (US$1,100) each. Additionally, nine children living in the prison with their mothers will receive VNĐ1.8 million (US$73) per child.

During the year-end meal, Gia Trung Prison also launched a donation campaign, calling on officers, soldiers, and inmates’ families to contribute to the Golden Heart Fund. The donations will be used to provide gifts and financial support for disadvantaged inmates and children staying with their mothers in prison throughout 2025. — VNS