PUTRAJAYA, March 22 — The Home Ministry said only one inmate returns to prison out of every 800 who are released after serving their sentences, according to Prisons Department data for last year.
In his speech addressing the ministry’s monthly staff meeting, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said this represented a success for the post-release rehabilitative programme.
“Last year’s data showed that out of every 800 who are released from prison, only one is a repeat offender.
“That means only 0.3 per cent return to prison. This is a success story for the Prisons Department,” he said.
He said that the programme involving more than 200 companies such as Panasonic, Mass Rail Transit and Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) has provided former inmates with a means to reintegrate into society.
Saifuddin Nasution also reiterated that the government’s decision to decriminalise minor drug offences will reduce not only the prison population, but also government costs.
“The government spends RM450 per inmate monthly, but if they are outside of the prison (while on parole or conditional release), they will continue to earn a living while working with these companies,” he added.
Earlier this month, Saifuddin Nasution said that a new drug law will be tabled in Parliament by this year.
He said the new law — Drug and Substance Abuse (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act — will help reduce the population in prisons.
