More than 560 inmates, most of them on death row, have been unshackled at the high-security Bang Khwang Central Prison in Nonthaburi.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday presided over a ceremony officially unshackling prisoners to improve inmate rights at the prison.
Corrections Department chief Suchart Wonganantachai said 563 prisoners have been unchained since the campaign started on Jan 23.
Of these, 513 inmates are on death row; 34 are serving life terms; and 16 are serving jail terms less than 50 years.
All prisoners across the country are expected to be unchained within three months.
Those unshackled include former gynaecologist Wisut Boonkasemsanti, who killed his wife and dissected her body in 2001; Maj Chalermchai Matchaklam, who was involved in the killing of a Yasothon governor in 2001; and former senator Sukum Cherdchuen who hired gunmen to murder a Chulalongkorn Hospital doctor in 1996. Dr Wisut said that he was delighted to be unshackled.
“Being chained made us feel like we were wicked animals and eroded our morale,” Dr Wisut said.
“Removing the shackles will not affect the warders’ ability to control inmates. On the contrary, it will make inmates more willing to cooperate.”
Dr Wisut said he was chained for four years. He still has 17 years and one month left to serve of his sentence.