PETALING JAYA: Prisoners serving jail terms of four years or less may soon be given the chance to carry out their sentences at home under a new initiative, according to home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He said the government had agreed in principle to implement the Licensed Prisoner Release, through home detention, for those who qualify, Bernama reported.
Saifuddin was previously reported to have said that prison reforms were needed to help reduce congestion in prisons and promote community correction for inmates.
On Oct 9 last year, Saifuddin told the Dewan Rakyat the prisons department was planning to implement home detention and suspended sentences.
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Today, Saifuddin said the home ministry is looking into how to implement the initiative based on the relevant provisions in the law.
“We need to check if it will be enough to just amend the current laws or if there is a need to enact new laws under the authority of the prisons director-general or the home minister.
“I have asked the home ministry’s chief secretary (Ruji Ubi) to do the research and provide feedback. It is a matter of high priority,” he told reporters after officiating the 234th Prisons Day celebration at the Puncak Borneo prisons complex in Kuching, Sarawak.
He said the initiative is especially aimed at prisoners suffering from chronic illnesses, the disabled, senior citizens, and pregnant women.
“If the convicts fall into these categories, we feel it is more humane to let them live outside these prison walls.
“We will monitor their movements while on home detention by ensuring that they wear a gadget, such as an ankle bracelet, at all times,” he said.
He said the Licensed Prisoner Release initiative, together with the existing parole system and social rehabilitation programme, would help the government manage the problem of prison congestion and also save money in the process.
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