Restart Kitchen by Restart Academy
The "Restart Academy" program, initiated by the Thailand Institute of Justice in 2023, aims to promote sustainable careers for ex-offenders and reduce recidivism rates through the development of vocational, psychological, and social skills. The program creates an environment conducive to mutual support and learning among participants, providing them with a platform for real-world employment to generate a stable income. Currently, the Restart Academy offers a food entrepreneurship course under the name "Restart Kitchen" at the Thailand Institute of Justice. The program is currently being developed to cover other skills as well such as hair cutting and styling and massage. Restart Academy also provides an emergency fund to assist ex-offenders with urgent financial need.
Thailand has an average of 200,000 ex-convicts released annually, with a recidivism rate of 34% within three years. This is primarily due to the lack of readiness for ex-convicts to re-enter society and the lack of employment opportunities due to their prior convictions. This burdens the government with expenses and lost opportunity costs of more than 10 billion baht annually.
Restart Academy supports the reintegration of ex-prisoners through 3 core elements: 1. Restart coaching - vocational and life skills training, including attitude adjustment to prepare them for life. 2. Restart career - provide employment right from the start to ensure income generation while skills training is provided in the form of on-the-job training. 3. Restart money (emergency fund) - establishing a loan fund for ex-offenders who need emergency funds. “Restart Kitchen” under the Restart Academy focuses on vocational training and employment in the food business, including food court operation, catering service and street food operation.
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To transform ex-prisoners into productive members of the society and reduce reoffending for a safer society
Goal 10: Reduced Inequality
10.2 By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status
Ex-prisoners |
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Ex-prisoners both male and female. Mostly recruited while they were still in prison preparing for release.
Lack readiness in re-entering society. Lack job opportunities. |
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Life skills training and attitude/mindset adjustment |
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On-the-job work skills training |
Improved work skills enhance career prospects, leading to greater opportunities for promotion or better readiness for self-employment.คน คน
Acquire work skills required for securing employment |
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Additional support e.g. emergency loan |
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Employment |
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Government |
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Restart Academy help develop the reintegration model which is still lacking in Thailand |
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| No. of ex-prisoners supported in application of personal documents | คน | End of probation | ||
| No. of ex-prisoners trained | คน | 40 | End of probation | |
| No. of ex-prisoners who receive loan from the Restart loan fund | คน | Monthly | ||
| No. of ex-prisoners who passed probation | คน | 40 | End of probation | |
| Average monthly income received by those hired | บาท | 0 | 12000 | Monthly |
| Recidivism rate of those hired under Restart Kitchen | % | 5 | ||
| General assessment by instructor | End of probation | |||
| No. of ex-prisoners who passed probation | คน | End of probation | ||
| No. of ex-prisoners who passed probation | คน | End of probation | ||
| Level of informal debt | Baht | Quarterly | ||
| No. of ex-prisoners who reoffend during their employment at Restart Kitchen | คน | |||
| Monthly income adequate to cover expenses for at least 8 months per year | Monthly |