The Cambodia Prisons Department is under the control of the Ministry of Interior, Department of General Administration. Under existing regulations there is no systems and processes to facilitate the outsourcing of the correctional services. In current economic circumstances of the country, outsourcing is not an effective option for the delivery of prisoner correctional services as this stage, owing to the overall lack of financial capacity with Government and the competing priorities of health, education and infrastructure rebuilding.

Recruitment, training and career development of correctional staff is governed by the Royal Decree on the Cadre of Prison Guard to establish prison supervision cadre within the Ministry of Interior. This Royal decree provides for personnel of the prison a duty and function to control prisoners and to coordinate administration works and operational works, within the Central and Provincial Prisons.

The Royal Decree specifies that the recruitment of staff, into the cadre of prison guards, is to be done through the competition/ examination among existing personnel and the candidates from outside. The number of each position available for the application/ competitors is determined by Prakas (proclamation) of Ministry of Interior. Outside candidates applying for a position must have Each Laureate diploma of secondary education and be of minimum age 25 years old at the date of examination. The age can be raised in accordance with article 11 c the law on statute of civil servants. Existing personnel who are already within the Government service, and who are grade 11 of third rank of the type “D” cadre and with a maximum age of 40 years old, can also apply. The selection criterion for recruitment and basic training is the responsibility of the Ministry of Interior.

Currently however, due to the legacy of decade civil war, there is no recruitment into the prison system. Existing prison guards were former policemen who have been transferred to the Department from the National Police as part of the downsizing process. As a result a lower number of females are represented in the service, reflecting the male/ female ratio that exists in the National Police. Thus impacts on the capacity of the prison system to deploy sufficient female prison staff to manage the women’s prison at Prey Sar.

The Prison Department has one Training Centre, including trainee accommodation, located at the Prey Sar Prison Complex. Whilst this facility has been used to train existing personnel, the lack of funds for human resource development in the past year has limited training.

Currently there are 1700 attached to the Prison department of which 463 staff have been trained as prison guards whilst 674 remain untrained. The Department plans to conducts urgent training for prison personnel during the years 2002 to 2003. The Department also plans to raise personnel numbers to 2500 staff by the year 2005 through further recruitment.

Training for Prison Guards is based upon the Royal Decree, the Royal Government and the Ministry of Interior five year objectives, and the Department of General Administration’s action plan for developing human resources. The Department of General of Administration has identified that Prison Guard Training System should be classified into three level; basic (two weeks), Advance (two weeks) and Specialist levels. The training program is focused on the Proclamation on Prison Management, Operational Prison Procedures, Human Rights and Prisoners health care. The candidates from outside after the initial training, graduating trainees are appointed as trainee prison guards by Proclamation and assigned to work at a national prison for a probationary period of twelve months before fully entering the prison service.

A number of Prison officers have undertaken training that has been conducted both internally and externally by outside agencies. A large number guards have also undertaken short-term complementary training courses to meet urgent demands including training on Prakas 217 (Prison Administration), Prison Procedures, Human Rights, First Aid etc.

Prison management, Prison Chiefs and Deputy Chiefs have undertaken short term complementary courses or received training overseas in accordance with international cooperation plan of the Ministry. A range of foreign instructors, advisers, institutes and NGOs has been providing support for training.

The issue of developing effective recruiting, training and career development for correctional staff in Cambodia is in its stages of Development. The Royal Government however is meeting these challenges through its reform program.