Prisons overcrowded by 6,000 inmates

MALAYSIAN prisons are overcrowded by over 6,000 inmates, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

He said based on the Prisons Department’s records, as at Feb 2, a total of 78,236 people were currently undergoing detention at all the prisons.

“The figure exceeds the actual occupancy capacity of 65,762 people (in the prison system), with an excess of 6,675 people,” he said in a written parliamentary reply to a question from Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (PN-Kubang Kerian).

Tuan Ibrahim asked the Home Ministry to state the number of prisoners in the prison facilities as well as the ratio of prison wardens to the number of prisoners.

The Home Minister said that from the total figure, some 92.59% of inmates were placed in various facilities while the remaining 7.41% are serving outside the prison walls.

There are 39 prison facilities and three Henry Gurney schools for young offenders.

Saifuddin said the ratio of prison officers, or wardens, to prisoners in each prison was one prison officer to three or five prisoners.

“The ratio changes based on the security category of the prisons, the categories of prisoners, as well as requirements in the form of training and rehabilitation programmes for the respective prisoners,” he said.