Journey to goodness

Updated date: 05/10/2025 05:15:05

DTO - In life, sometimes because of youthful impetuosity, temptation, and temporary anger, many people get caught up in the law. After months of serving their sentences in detention, their dream is to return to their families, have stable jobs, and reintegrate into the community. Therefore, Decision No. 22 dated August 17, 2023 of the Prime Minister on credit for people who have completed their prison sentences is a solid foundation to help reformed people rise up.

The Transaction Office of the Social Policy Bank of Thap Muoi district disburses 100 million VND to individuals for loans according to Decision No. 22 of the Prime Minister.

Once a model husband and father with a stable life, gambling has clouded the mind of Mr. Lai Van Be (residing in My Quy commune, Thap Muoi district), causing him to rush into gambling like a moth to a flame. Only when he had to pay the price with a sentence did he regret and repent for his mistake.

After completing his prison sentence and returning to his family, he was determined to rebuild his life to regain the trust of his family and neighbors. Although he was in his 60s, with his hard-working nature, he did not hesitate to stay up late and wake up early to work with his own hands. Seeing Mr. Be's diligence and efforts to improve himself, the local authorities always kindly visited and encouraged him. Through that, they learned that he both farmed and plowed the land for hire, but his equipment was old and often broken, and he wanted to have some capital to change to new equipment, increase working hours, and improve his family's income.

Thanks to the Government's policy, the family's guarantee, the help of the local government and the local police force, on April 26, 2024, the Transaction Office of the Social Policy Bank of Thap Muoi District disbursed 100 million VND to Mr. Lai Van Be. He was very excited, because this was a source of strength for him to recover after "falling", focus on business, and reintegrate into the community.

Mr. Lai Van Be (left cover) excitedly shared with local authorities about business performance after receiving support for a loan to reintegrate into the community.

With the capital, he boldly bought another used tractor. Working hard with his son and with the encouragement of his family, after deducting all expenses, he still made a profit of 300 million VND in the last 3 rice crops. Mr. Be confided: "The local authorities consider me a household with a growing and relatively stable business. Now my family's life is stable."

Prisoner Dang Thanh Hieu, serving his sentence at the Provincial Police Detention Center, is making efforts to reform himself to be considered for a special pardon by the President (on the occasion of April 30). It is known that in 2022, due to violating regulations on road traffic participation, causing one death, Hieu was sentenced to 3 years in prison by the People's Court of Sa Dec City. During his days of serving his sentence in detention, Hieu always felt regretful and remorseful for what he had done. After the torment, Hieu turned to books to reflect on his life. With the encouragement and education of police officers, Hieu gradually understood and actively reformed himself to soon return to his family. Prisoner Dang Thanh Hieu was considered for a special pardon on the occasion of April 30, 2025.

Decision No. 22 dated August 17, 2023 of the Prime Minister regulating credit for people who have completed their prison sentences, people who have been pardoned, and people who have been conditionally released from prison is an important policy, creating conditions for people who have made mistakes to have the opportunity to rebuild their lives and reintegrate into the community. Accordingly, these subjects can borrow capital from the Social Policy Bank for production, business, and job creation. The maximum loan amount is 100 million VND/person, the maximum loan term is 5 years. To be eligible for a loan, a number of conditions must be met, such as: having full civil capacity; having a feasible production and business plan; having confirmation from the local authorities that they have completed their prison sentences, been pardoned, or conditionally released from prison. In addition, production and business establishments including small and medium enterprises, cooperatives, cooperative groups, and business households that employ workers who have completed their prison sentences will be given loans of up to VND2 billion per project and no more than VND100 million per worker at the production and business establishment.

Ms. Tran Thanh Truc - Deputy Director of Dong Thap Province Social Policy Bank, said: “Since implementing Decision No. 22 of the Prime Minister, the Social Policy Bank has coordinated with the Provincial Police and local authorities to survey the loan demand for people who have completed their prison sentences and advised the Provincial People's Committee and the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies to allocate capital in a timely manner, meeting the loan demand of people who have completed their prison sentences. At the same time, we approach, advise and create the most favorable conditions for people who have completed their prison sentences to have access to capital for investment, production and business, job creation and reintegration into the community. In parallel with the disbursement work, the Provincial Social Policy Bank has surveyed and inspected the use of loans. The inspection results show that the majority of people who have completed their prison sentences after receiving loans use them for the right purpose, promoting the effectiveness of the capital source”.

Since the implementation of Decision No. 22 of the Prime Minister, Dong Thap Province's Social Policy Bank has disbursed over 15 billion VND to 213 people who have completed their prison sentences, of which 6 cases have recovered their capital. Being able to borrow capital under Decision No. 22 is an opportunity for pardoned people to start a business and build a new life. However, to be successful, it requires effort, determination and support from family and community. After all the mistakes, family and society need to have an open view and accompany reformed people so that they no longer feel alone on the path to goodness.

Thanh Thao

Source: https://baodongthap.vn/xa-hoi/hanh-trinh-huong-thien-131341.aspx