Justice Ministry speeds up draft to allow community service

Justice Minister Koeut Rith chairs a meeting to draft the provision of community service for criminal cases. Ministry of Justice

Synopsis: Government aims to reduce overcrowding in prisons while re-integrating offenders back into society.

The Ministry of Justice working group on Monday met to draft the provisions for community service, probationary suspension, and conditional release for minor offences, especially those involving gangs.

The aim is to reduce overcrowding in prisons.

Ministry spokesman Seng Dyna said that under the guidance of Justice Minister Koeut Rith, the working group has held several meetings since February 2025 to draft the process to to introduce community service for criminal cases.

He said community service is permitted under the Criminal Code, which has been in effect since 2009. However, due to several issues, such as the public’s lack of understanding and acceptance for convicts to perform community work, its implementation has been delayed.

Community service is only applicable to minor offences and will help prisoners reintegrate into society while reducing prison overcrowding, he added.

Licadho Operations Director Am Sam Ath yesterday applauded the Ministry of Justice’s hard work to speed up the process to allow community service.

He said the rights organisation has been urging the government to allow community service for a long time.

He said a community sentence instead of detention will benefit both the inmates and society.

First of all, prisons will become less congested, he said. Second, the inmates will learn to work in society’s interests before they are re-integrated into the community, he added.

“But community service should not only be for those involved in gangs; it should be applicable to everyone in prison,” Sam Ath told said yesterday.

He said prisons are increasingly crowded because the number of detainees has risen, most of whom are imprisoned for drug offences.