LABUAN, April 8 (Bernama) — The nationwide recidivism rate, which measures the tendency of convicted criminals to reoffend, for 2021 was 14.97 per cent, and still under control, Commissioner-General of Prisons Datuk Nordin Muhamad said.
“This means for every 100 inmates released, there are around 15 of them who reenter the prison system within three years.
“This rate is very different from those given a chance under the rehabilitation within communities programmes before their release, which recorded only a rate of 0.38 per cent, for 260 inmates released only one has reentered the prison system,” he told Bernama after the Prisons Commissioner-General Award presentation ceremony for Sabah and Labuan at the Labuan Corporation Anjung Budaya Mini Auditorium near here today.
He said that the Prisons Department was currently boosting its efforts with rehabilitation within community programmes that are considered to be more effective than rehabilitation within facilities (in prison) programmes.
“Rehabilitation within community programmes are viewed as more effective in reducing the recidivism rate, and they should be intensified,” he added.
Nordin said not all inmates qualified to participate in these programmes, and assessments were made based on the risks communities would face.
“So not all inmates qualify, but we have the provisions under the Prisons Act under Section 43, 46 and 47 that allows release on license and it is only limited to inmates with under a year of jail term.
“And from our assessments, we provide eligibility to low-risk inmates, and also on the suitability of the inmate to undergo rehabilitation within the community….and we will help them obtain jobs, and after that lodging, and only then do we release them under the supervision of our personnel,” he said.
Such rehabilitation programmes were effective, he said, with many inmates getting jobs and receiving salaries and other benefits, equal to regular workers.
He said the programmes could reduce crowding in prisons throughout the country, which has reached 12 per cent overcapacity currently but was within manageable levels.
“Efforts are being made to increase prison capacity to 11,000 to accommodate the possible increase in inmates in the future, and currently, we have around 70,000 inmates in prisons throughout the country,” he added.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency