Mac 2, 2024 14:33 MYT
The government agrees in principle to implement house arrest for prisoners - Saifuddin Nasution
BORNEO SUMMIT: The government has agreed in principle to begin Licensed Prisoner Release (PBSL) through home detention for prisoners serving sentences of four years and below as an effort to reduce prison overcrowding.
Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the Home Affairs Ministry (KDN) is currently in the process of examining the implementation method of the initiative from the point of view of relevant legal provisions to ensure whether existing acts and regulations need to be enacted or not.
"It needs to be checked whether it is sufficient to amend the existing law or there is a need to enact a new law under the authority of the Director General of Prisons or the Minister of Home Affairs.
"I tasked the Chief Secretary of KDN (Datuk Ruji Ubi) to review and give feedback... this matter must be expedited," he said.
He said this in a press conference after the 234th Prison Day Celebration Ceremony with the theme "Correctional Reforms Building Civilization" at the Puncak Borneo Prison Complex, here today.
According to him, the prison inmates involved in the program consist of individuals with chronic diseases, the elderly, the disabled and expectant mothers.
"If the convicted offense involves them from this category, we see that it is more humane if we put them outside and not inside the (prison) walls, so for that we can attach gadgets to them so that we can carry out home detention," he said.
Saifuddin said that through programs such as the Parole System, Compulsory Attendance Order and Correctional Rehabilitation Program, the government is not only able to deal with the problem of prison overcrowding but it is a cost-saving measure for the country.
He said that the program that had been carried out previously had a positive impact with statistics showing that out of 800 released, only one was re-incarcerated.
Earlier, he read out the text of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof's opening speech for the occasion.
In the speech, Fadillah said the Sarawak Prison Institution was announced as the recipient of the Outstanding State Prison Award 2023 following the excellent achievement of the four key performance indicators (KPI) of the international standard in the management of the correctional and prison system.
"The four KPl set, which are the recidivism rate (repeated crime) of 12.7 percent, the total remand rate of 13.5 percent and the congestion rate of -13.2 percent, are much better than the international standard level of 20 percent.
"While the incarceration rate is 119 per 100,000 population compared to the international standard of 145 per 100,000 population," he said.
Today's Prison Day celebration is to appreciate the staff and the public who have contributed service to the Prison Department.
