Restart Kitchen by Restart Academy

ภาพรวม

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.

ปัญหา

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.

แนวทางแก้ปัญหา

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.