SUNGAI PETANI: The recidivism rate among former prisoners who participated in the prison reintegration programme is very low at only one relapse for every 800 prisoners released.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail stated that this rate demonstrates the high success of the programme implemented by the Malaysian Prisons Department.
He provided a stark comparison by noting that among 100 prisoners released without a reintegration programme, 13 re-offend and return to prison.
Saifuddin made these remarks at a press conference after officiating the Kampung Angkat MADANI Corrective Community Programme in Kampung Teluk Nipah.
The reintegration programme is available to prisoners convicted of minor offences with sentences under three years.
Participants receive various training opportunities including Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes.
He emphasised that the programme helps reduce prison overcrowding and lowers operational costs for the prison system.
Malaysia currently has 41 prisons with an inmate population of 87,000, including 29,000 remand detainees awaiting trial.
The system’s designed capacity is only around 72,000 to 73,000 people, creating significant overcrowding issues.
Placing eligible inmates in reintegration programmes outside prison premises helps ease this congestion and provides better rehabilitation outcomes. – Bernama
