Reimagining justice beyond borders: Bridging ASEAN's reintegration gaps in transnational conditional release

Foreign national prisoners and people under supervision (FNPs) are an increasingly salient feature of Southeast Asian prison populations, yet the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) lacks an operational framework for transferring or recognizing post-release community supervision. In practice, many FNPs are deported at sentence completion with little structured aftercare, producing a reintegration cliff and avoidable public safety risk. Drawing on socio-legal comparative analysis and aggregated administrative data, this article proposes the BRIDGES model: a phased, rights-based blueprint centred on standardized social inquiry reporting (Litmas – Penelitian Kemasyarakatan), bilateral supervision protocols and secure digital information-sharing. Lessons from EU and Trans-Tasman arrangements are adapted for ASEAN's institutional and cultural context.