Cambodia’s drug rehabilitation system is facing criticism over allegations of harsh treatment, inadequate support, unofficial fees and corruption, with former patients and civil society groups warning that the conditions can make recovery and reintegration more difficult.
The latest ‘Mekong Risk Monitor’, published by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, on August 31, interviewed former patients who experienced strict discipline and fear, with punishments including beatings reported even for minor infractions.
Food was also described as poor and lacking taste or nutritional value, while some patients said they were treated like criminals rather than people in need of help.
“Because of this experience, I did not want to return,” Sokha, a 26-year-old drug user in Sihanoukville, said. Shortly after his release, he relapsed and returned to using crystal methamphetamine.
Rehabilitation or punishment?
The report said people who use drugs and test positive after being arrested generally face three options: paying bail, undergoing compulsory rehabilitation or risking imprisonment.
The 2012 Law on Drug Control gives prosecutors and courts discretion to divert drug offenders away from prison and toward rehabilitation. However, the report said “this option is rarely used in practice”.
As of March 2024, Cambodia had 45,122 people imprisoned across the country, of which 21,644, or 48 percent, were for drug-related offences. The figure included 2,214 minors, according to Ministry of Interior statistics cited in the report.
Cambodia is home to 18 rehabilitation centres; six are state-run facilities, while 12 are operated by private organisations across nine provinces and Phnom Penh, according to the report.
Cost is another barrier
Although state-run rehabilitation facilities are officially free, the report says users have reported paying entry fees and monthly “donations” to secure a place. It cited a 2012 UN Office on Drugs and Crime report that put entry fees at around $100 to $200, with monthly fees of about $50.50.
Interviews cited in the report state that these costs have since increased, with entry fees reportedly ranging from $300 to $1,000 a month.
Private rehabilitation centres are reported to charge significantly more. One user in Pursat province said he spent about six months at a private facility after his mother paid roughly $1,000 for his treatment, equivalent to nearly five times the garment worker minimum monthly wage of $210.
The report also documents allegations of corruption within the wider drug enforcement and rehabilitation system.
“Users and lower-level dealers reporting that police target them if they are known to be able to afford to pay bribes or have family members able to do so,” the report said
Some reported being asked for money immediately after arrest, while others said larger payments could involve lawyers, court officials or arrangements to obtain food, medical treatment or family visits.
Stigma makes reintegration harder
Beyond the rehabilitation system itself, people who use drugs face widespread discrimination and stigma, which can make recovery and reintegration more difficult.
One former drug user described how people avoided him while he was using drugs because they believed drug users were dangerous.
“Even now, after stopping, people still fear me,” he said, explaining that people worried he might steal their motorbikes, phones or other belongings.
Worsening issue of overcrowding
Am Sam Art, Operations Director at LICADHO, told Kiripost that he is aware of the report findings and said that more than 66,000 prisoners are currently held in prisons, with significant increases in the prison population causing overcrowding to worsen.
“It is developing to get worse,” he said, adding that the number of inmates, including those held for drug-related offences, is increasing. This is further contributing to worsening prison overcrowding.
“Although the government has continuously transferred inmates from overcrowded prisons to less crowded ones, prison construction has not responded to the increasing prison population,” Sam Art said.
Cambodia’s prisons ranked second of the most overcrowded prisons worldwide; occupancy levels hit 400 percent, only lower than the Congo at 600 percent. LICADHO’s report in February 2025 raised concerns over worsening overcrowding conditions in the prison for detainees. It highlighted the heavily cramped conditions in the cells, which burst with nearly 100 detainees per room, making it difficult for them to walk and sleep.
Former detainees previously told Kiripost they experienced itchy skin, finding it difficult to sleep due to very cramped conditions, as well as psychological effects after their release.
Over a period of 3.5 years, from 2023 through the first half of 2026, approximately 66,000 prisoners were held in prisons across Cambodia, including people convicted or detained for drug-related offenses, murder, cybercrime and other offences.
Touch Sokhak, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, said on Tuesday, authorities have provided 1,042,517 treatments for health conditions among prisoners, including 1,394,991 treatments at prison health posts and 7,526 referrals to hospitals.
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