Sitting under a Phnom Penh teashop awning in the breeze, I flipped through the local news and saw that between early 2023 and the first half of this year—a span of three years—Cambodia’s prison system delivered a massive amount of medical care behind bars, totaling 1,402,517 patient visits. Put simply, anyone who got sick was seen by a doctor and given medicine, with no one left out.
Beyond healthcare, vocational classes have also started up inside. According to the General Department of Prisons, over 17,700 inmates took part in job training. By learning skills like vehicle repair, carpentry, or other trades, they’ll have a way to make a living when they finish their sentences and re-enter society, rather than stepping back out completely blind to what to do.
Out on the streets, traffic hums past all day as everyone scrambles to make a living. The people inside might not be able to walk out yet, but learning a trade and looking after their health are real, tangible steps local detention facilities have been pushing lately.
