Community service for offenders helps prisons reduce overcrowding

KOTA KINABALU: Community service programmes for offenders are helping prisons tackle overcrowding issues, says Prisons Department deputy director-general Datuk Ibrisam Abdul Rahman

He said the community programmes were one of the positive approaches that help the overcrowding rate of prisoners in prisons, adding that the implementation of community service programmes have also shown better rehabilitation effectiveness than serving a sentence in prison.

"In prison, it's more (rehabilitation) is theory, but it is more practical for an offender doing community service as it involves help from various parties.

"It does not only involve prison officers but government agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), community leaders and parties with expertise and capabilities.

"This is to ensure that the offenders involved end their bad deeds and repent for their mistakes and return to become responsible citizens," he said after the signing of a memorandum for Community Service Cooperation between Sabah Prisons Department and Kota Kinabalu City Hall here Tuesday (March 7).

Ibrisam said that in addition to the community service programme, his department also hoped that the courts would use alternative punishments to replace prison sentences for minor offences in order to reduce the issue of overcrowding in prisons.

Sabah and Labuan Prison Department director deputy commissioner Nora Musa said the overcrowding rate of prisoners in prisons throughout Sabah was less than 10% with some facilities not crowded.

Since 2012, some 974 offenders have undergone community service in Sabah.

Kota Kinabalu City Hall Mayor Datuk Noorliza Awang Alip was also present.