According to the Ministry of Public Security, most of 130,000 prisoners had practiced certain forms of worship before being arrested, detained or served prison sentences.
In particular, in total of inmates, there are 11,000 prisoners who have followed Catholicism (3,859), Buddhism (5,862), Hoa Hao Buddhism (392), Caodaism (532), Islamism (37), and other religions (40).
For ensuring the right to freedom of belief and religion of inmates serving sentences at the prisons, the prison management police officers have strictly complied with the Constitution, the Law on Belief and Religion and related laws, as well as created all conditions for inmates to express their faith in belief and religion according to the Ministry of Public Security’s new Circular on internal rules of detention facilities.
All inmates, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, gender, belief and religion have been treated as equal before the law and without non-discrimination during the serving sentences at the prisons.
The prison management police officers have worked to ensure that no conflict or discrimination based on backgrounds of belief and religion between inmates and strictly prevent violations of laws and prison rules related to belief and religion, such as coercing inmate follow or not to follow a belief and religion or conducting superstitious activities, etc.
Religious inmates have been entitled to use scriptures, religious books at libraries for serving their daily religious needs.
During serving sentence at the prisons, the rights of inmates have been guaranteed according to laws, including right to express his / her beliefs in making the sign of the cross, prayer, fasting on the first day and 15th day of the lunar month, etc.
PH
