Kota Kinabalu: Sabah’s recidivism (return to crime) rate is the lowest in the country, contributing only 0.08 per cent to the national rate.
Sabah and Labuan Prisons Director Nora Musa attributed this to community-based rehabilitation, an approach Sabah is most active in.
“Reintegration into the community becomes much easier. Most inmates gain a sense of responsibility, especially for their families by then.
“They are breadwinners, husbands and sons or daughters. These are their luggage and main reason of wanting freedom.
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She opined that it would be better if Sabah had a more robust industrial complex so that inmates may not only benefit socially but economically.
“In the peninsula for example, Sony will hire 1,000 inmates at a time under OBB.
“Sabah so far has not seen that privilege. But, hopefully, under the Sabah Maju Jaya initiative, it could one day become a reality,” she told the press.
Nora was met at the handover of duties from outgoing Kota Kinabalu Prisons Director Teyun Thian Eim to Senior Assistant Hamdan Salleh Majin.
Kelantan born Teyun is being transferred to Kedah after serving three years and nine months at the Kota Kinabalu Prison, while Hamdan, a Sabahan, is returning home after serving in Sarawak.
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