Nora (second from right) presenting parole release papers to Sofea during the programme in Kota Kinabalu. — Bernama
“Be careful in choosing friends and stay away from drugs.”
That is advice an elderly former prison inmate wants the public, especially youths, to heed.
Sofea (not her real name), 65, is the first person to be placed under house arrest as a prisoner released on licence (OBB) in Sabah.
She shared this advice out of sadness from seeing many young people imprisoned due to poor life choices, especially in terms of friendships and drug involvement.
Previously a retired civil servant with 33 years of work experience, Sofea also wants society to learn from her mistake of having become a money mule for a dishonest friend.
Sofea’s error resulted in her bank account being used for money laundering involving drug activities.
“I accepted my fate and was not sad to be imprisoned. But I am sad to see young people in prison.
“In my block, out of 22 people, only four were involved in other crimes while the rest were imprisoned for drug-related offences.
“Some of them got involved in drugs through friends.
“They picked the wrong friends, who placed drugs in their bags,” she told Bernama after the Licensed Release of Prisoners (PBSL) programme themed “Ihsan Madani – Kepulangan Yang Dinanti”.
This initiative was launched by Sabah and Labuan Prisons director Nora Musa at Kota Kinabalu Central Prison.
A total of 196 people were released, with 64 of them from Kota Kinabalu prison.
Sofea, who was supposed to complete her one-year prison sentence in November, is the only OBB candidate on house arrest.
Sofea said her condition as a diabetic, requiring insulin injections four times a day, along with her good behaviour, qualified her for house arrest.
“The treatment I received in prison was very good.
“Besides religious and academic guidance, there were also marching lessons.
“I am very grateful and appreciate the advice given by prison officers,” she said.
Meanwhile, Nora said the PBSL programme played an important role in the Prison Department’s efforts to rehabilitate parolees.
She said the community-based rehabilitation mechanism had a higher success rate compared to conventional rehabilitation.
Those undergoing the former, said Nora, had a very low recidivism rate of 0.24%.
She compared this to 17% recidivism for those who had not had the chance to undergo community-based rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, in Marang, Terengganu, 118 inmates from various prisons were released on licence.
They hoped for unconditional acceptance from their families and society.
Ali (not his real name), 29, was nervous about facing society but was grateful to be released.
He urged people to give former prisoners a second chance to continue their lives.
Ali had begun his drug offence sentence last August and was originally expected to be released next March.
Grateful for a car wash job offered to him, Ali is determined to change his fate and serve his family.
Ahmad (not his real name), 35, who is disabled, plans to seek assistance for a prosthetic leg, and then venture into cattle farming to turn his life around.
Terengganu Prisons director Hamid Taha said the state had the highest number of prisoners released on licence.
Of 882 prisoners nationwide involved in PBSL, 118 were from Terengganu prisons.
Hamid said of the total 1,500 prisoners released on licence since the programme’s inception, only five had reoffended.
