TIJ co-hosted the seminar with the Department of Probation and UNAFEI.

2–4 March 2016 – TIJ co-hosted the seminar on “Developing Standards on Community-based Treatment in ASEAN: Focusing on Treatment for Drug Use/Dependence Offenders” with the Department of Probation and UNAFEI.


Drug problem is one of the major problems in ASEAN countries which led to prison overcrowding, for the law has been focusing heavily on punishment by incarcerating inmates with drug offences, accounting for, as many as 60-80 percent of all inmates in the prison. During the past years, ASEAN countries have been attempting to solve drug problems by supporting community-based treatment instead of imprisonment. This seminar focused on sharing and developing standards, policies, and practices related to community-based treatment and other non-custodial measures for drug offenders, and aimed at strengthening cooperation among ASEAN countries.


General Paiboon Koomchaya, Minister of Justice of Thailand, together with Dr.Kittipong Kittayarak, Executive Director of TIJ, and Mr.Terutoshi Yamashita, Director of UNAFEI delivered opening remarks. Joining the seminar were more than 80 participants including representatives from Departments and Divisions responsible for managing community-based.


TIJ looks forward to strengthening cooperation to develop practical community-based treatment as well as other perceivable non-custodial measures for drug offenders which may hopefully solve prison overcrowding problem in ASEAN.