NCJ Number
74763
Date Published
1980
Length
7 pages
Annotation
The basic features of the Malaysian correctional system are discussed, and the classification and treatment of its dangerous offenders are described.
Abstract
Rapid urbanization and industrialization in Malaysia following independence from Great Britain in 1951 have stimulated the emergence of a new class of criminals who commit such serious offenses as armed robbery, kidnapping, bank holdups and drug trafficking. Concern for material success, fostered by modernization, also explains the rise in white-collar crime and corruption. Consequently, the government has been forced to enact a series of stern measures, including the Internal Security Act of 1960, the Firearms Act of 1971 and the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance. The Malaysian correctional system is modeled after the British system. The Malaysian prison population of 9,000 inmates are housed in 30 facilities consisting of prisons, rehabilitation centers, and approved schools for juvenile delinquents. Dangerous offenders constitute about 25 percent of the inmate population. They are classified into seven categories on the basis of the gravity of the offense committed and the police evidence. Serious offenders, including 62 condemned prisoners awaiting execution and an increasing number of drug additcts and traffickers, are divided into three groups: 1) antiauthority and subversive, 2) problem personalities, and 3) escapees. The antiauthority and subversive group, the largest of the three groupings, consists of offenders who committed major crimes and who are uncooperative and pose challenges to prison authorities. Problem personality types are psychopathic in nature; escapees are quiet, meticulous planners who do not seek to draw attention to themselves. Dangerous offenders, as well as other prisoners, are guaranteed payment for work, health services, rest periods, and the right to file complaints. Dangerous prisoners may also earn remission of one-third of their sentence by work and good conduct. However, limited employment opportunities and the social stigma of a serious criminal record impedes ex-offenders' successful reintegration into society. An appendix containing two tables of prisoner statistics is provided.