PREPARATION FOR RELEASE AND POST-RELEASE SUPPORT PROMISING PRACTICE: Erasing criminal records in Costa Rica Legislative reform in 2017 in Costa Rica permitted courts to erase criminal records. The law outlines criteria for the court to take into account, which include the length of the sentence, the offence committed and, when relevant, the ‘situation of vulnerability’ of the offender. The law is applicable for people imprisoned for minor offences (carrying a penalty of five years’ imprisonment or less) who have served their sentence. The offender must have been in a situation of vulnerability (such as poverty, social exclusion and discrimination) at the time that the offence was committed. While the reform does not specifically target women, they are likely to benefit as the majority of non-violent female offenders are imprisoned for property crimes or small-scale drug-related offences, often committed in a context of vulnerability and poverty. In the past, these women struggled to gain employment because of their criminal record, despite having relevant work experience and skills; this in turn perpetuated cycles of poverty and recidivism. PROMISING PRACTICE: Employment for released prisoners in Thailand The Lila Thai Massage Ex-Inmate Employment and Skill Development Centre, set up in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2014, offers employment upon release for graduates from the Chiang Mai women prison’s massage training programme. 40 | The women earn the equivalent of USD$950 per month, which is more than twice the average monthly income in Thailand (about USD$450). The Centre, in response to the increasing demand, has now expanded its service to cover six locations in the city of Chiang Mai. Penal Reform International and Thailand Institute of Justice | Guide to the rehabilitation and social reintegration of women prisoners