HRH Sirindhorn opens ‘Library of Wisdom’
HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn on Apr 17 arrived in Phuket to officiate the opening of the ‘Library of Wisdom’ at Phuket Provincial Prison, created as part of a Department of Corrections initiative launched with royal support.
The project aims to increase literacy among inmates so they have a better chance of a successful life after their release.
The ‘Library of Wisdom’ at Phuket Prison features more than 10,000 titles, and has been designed to replicate the ambience of Phuket Old Town, so that it reflects a multicultural society with people living together, including Thai Muslims, Sikhs and Peranakan, officials explained
The library also includes royal writings and books, general knowledge books, reference books, novels, journals and magazines, and features an electronic media corner for ‘E-Learning’. In addition, the library already holds activities to promote reading, telling stories from royal writings and the availability of audio books which have received royal permission to produce royal writings in multimedia format so prisoners can listen to them in their dormitories.
As a result, the number of inmates interested in borrowing books has increased by more than 30%, noted an official report.
Phuket Provincial Prison is home to 3,795 inmates, comprising 3,276 men and 519 women, with 94 undergoing non-formal education lessons, 203 in primary education, 142 in middle school, 138 studying high-school lessons, and eight studying for bachelor’s degrees, with 62 graduating in the academic year 2023.
The Phuket News