KUALA LUMPUR: The Prisons Department will conduct risk assessments before inmates are eligible for community rehabilitation programmes.
Its deputy commissioner-general (Security and Correctional), Datuk Abdul Aziz Abdul Razak said his team would ensure inmates reached a certain level while serving their sentence in prison and they would not pose a threat to the community before being selected to join the rehabilitation programme.
“They (prisoners) will always be under our surveillance but not shackled as risk assessment has been done.
“Not all inmates will be taken out but it (joining the rehabilitation programme) will be guided by the level of rehabilitation they have achieved...we will make a decision, (if) they are ‘safe’ in society, then they will be taken out,“ he said as a guest on Bernama TV’s 'Apa Khabar Malaysia’ programme titled '233rd Prison Day Celebration' here today.
According to Abdul Aziz, support from communities is important for the programme to succeed as without the community’s involvement or acceptance, nothing would work.
“The Prisons Department has played its role with various companies to ensure they (inmates) get jobs and are covered by insurance, receive Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contributions, and be paid according to the minimum wage enforced by the government,“ he added.
He also called on the public to celebrate the 233rd Prison Day at Malaysian Prisons College in Kajang on March 21 through physical or virtual participation. -Bernama
