Imagine having to spend 15 hours a day in a room 12ft by 24 foot with 24 other people, no beds, and a hole in the floor as a toilet. Any chance of sleep is hindered by the tropical heat, the bright lights (which are left on all night) the extreme cramped conditions, mosquitos, rats and leg chains! A place where the food is so bad that the local cats wont even eat it, beatings are a regular occurrence and even the most basic medical care is unavailable. Then imagine having to endure these conditions for 30 years to life!! The conditions described above are but a small glimpse into the daily life of foreign prisoners incarcerated in the notorious Thailand prisons such as BangKwang. (BangKwang is called the Big Tiger as it is said to eat people alive) The majority of these foreign inmates are serving sentences for drug smuggling. These are not the big kingpin drug dealers, but the pawns at the very bottom of the lader who are manipulated through their own addictions or their greed for a quick dollar into working as couriers. More often than not these people are first time offenders who are not even aware of the full implications of their actions. Thailand has extreme laws in regard to drug couriers, and often a courier will be sentenced to 30 years, life or even death for a crime that they would be lucky to get 10 years maximum for in their own countries. To add to their punishment they also suffer from personal & cultural isolation. Because of the barriers of distance, language and time, these prisoners are often forgotten about by the general public, family & friends. It can be a very lonely life devoid of human warmth, contact and hope. In reaction to the Foreign Prisoner Support Service was first created. Through their website the F.P.S.S list the names of inmates and encourage people to write to them via email. They even offer a return post service where prisoners can write back to you personally c/o F.P.S.S and their replies will be forwarded to your email address. The F.P.S.S also assists inmates by lobbying embassies and officials over specific cases, contacting private companies to provide products to send to inmates and fundraising to assist prisoners with basic medical & legal needs. The reaction from the general public and the inmates themselves is overwhelming! The F.P.S.S is sending up to 50 letters a week to prisons all over the world, and many new inmates are contacting the service to list their names for contact. The network of supporters has grown to include many people from all around the world, some of whom are already supporting prisoners, but most of which are simply concerned fellow humans who wish to help in whatever way they can. One letter of hope from outside can mean all the difference in the life of a lonely prisoner enduring the hardships of a foreign prison. The responses we get from the inmates speak for themselves; "Thank you for your beautiful letter, it brightened not only my day but my whole week" - J.McKenzie (Aussie woman who has served 5 tyears of a 50 year sebtebce) "A friend in my building spoke to me about your group, and after I read your letter to him I was emotionally touched. I am so happy to know that somewhere somebody still cares for us so life is not so hopeless after all" - Ibrahim Abdul "Thank you so much for your letter and email message from my daughter which brought so much joy to my heart to know she is fine & doing well. It most certainly has uplifted my spirit considering the sufferings I am enduring in BangKwang" - Morgan Andy Joe "Thanks you so much for keeping on contact with me. To keep our sanity we do need moral support, encouragement and news from the outside world. I am speaking for all the foreign prisoners in BangKwang". - Teodoro Lauguico What can you do to help? You can log onto our website by clicking here & send an email to a prisoner. If you do not wish to include your own home or postal address, you can simply include your email address in our contact form & any replies will be forwarded back to your email address. - Click here to send an email to an inmate. You can tell others about our service, and encourage them to write to prisoners (even if its just a quick message letting them know that you are thinking of them). - Click Here to send the website address of the F.P.S.S to your friends. . You can donate funds, clothing, hygiene products, eye glasses and books to the F.P.S.S for distribution to the inmates themselves. We have associates on the ground in Thailand who will deliver these goods in person to ensure that they make it through to the prisoners. - Click here for information on making a contribution or sending goods tio inmates. . If you ARE TRAVELING OVERSEAS You can visit a foreign prisoner. Foreign Prisoners names are often available through the local embassy in the country you are visiting. - Click here for a list of inmates names. . You might like to host your own fundraising event. The F.P.S.S can provide information & promotional media material for your event, and also guest speakers if required. - Click here for more information in hosting a fundrauising event. . Most importantly you can stay aware of these people who are suffering inhumane conditions & treatment. LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY ARE NOT FORGOTTEN, LET THEM KNOW THAT SOMEONE STILL CARES!

The main gate, best viewed from outside! This is what you eat if you have no money The toilets are open plan variety People sleep shoulder to shoulder The Thai's deny the use of leg irons

Images courtesy of the BangKwang times

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