The Government has issued Decree No. 170/2026/ND-CP detailing and guiding the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on Criminal Judgment Enforcement; in which, it clearly stipulates the regime of cultural and vocational education for prisoners.
The Decree specifically stipulates the regime of cultural education for prisoners. Accordingly, prison facilities organize literacy programs for prisoners who are illiterate or re-illegitimate. Encourage prisoners to self-study culture, prisoners who are foreigners, ethnic minorities who do not know Vietnamese to self-study and learn Vietnamese.
Prisoners who are studying culture and have expired their prison sentences will have their academic results preserved so that they can continue to study at educational institutions in the national education system.
Depending on the program, use textbooks and teaching materials suitable to the regulations and instructions of the Ministry of Education and Training. The prisoner's cultural study time is at least 2 sessions/week, each session 4 hours, decided by the Prison Warden, Temporary Prison Warden, except for Sundays, holidays, and Tet.
Prison detention facilities organize cultural classes for prisoners and teach Vietnamese to prisoners who cannot speak Vietnamese (general language); Prison warden, temporary detention warden decides on the form, time, and teaching method according to the actual situation and cognitive ability of the prisoner.
Teachers teaching culture to prisoners are officers, soldiers, contract workers of prison facilities or of local educational institutions, with a university degree or higher and pedagogical certificates.
Prisoners who have improved their rehabilitation, have educational qualifications, pedagogical abilities, good personal backgrounds, are not masterminds, commanders, ringleaders, professional thugs, hooligans, aggressive, suffering from infectious diseases, have a history of drug addiction or are not criminals committing crimes infringing on national security can be arranged to support cadres and soldiers to teach culture for prisoners.
The prison warden and the temporary detention center warden confirm the completion of the semester (if the inmate has not completed the literacy program), completing the literacy program phase 1, phase 2 according to the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training for the inmate.
According to the Decree, teachers, officers, soldiers, and contract workers who teach culture, civic education, and propagate and disseminate laws to inmates are trained in a special environment. The level of one-session (4 hours) training is equal to 0.25 of the base salary.
Management officials, directly involved in education, cultural teaching, legal education, and civic education of prison facilities with good achievements are considered for commendation and reward according to the provisions of law on emulation and reward.
Prisoners aged 30 and under who do not have a job, prisoners with a sentence of less than 5 years and preparing to serve their prison sentences are prioritized for vocational training and skills improvement. Prisoners are trained and issued vocational training certificates according to the provisions of the law on vocational education.
The Decree takes effect from July 1, 2026.
