PETALING JAYA: Inmates released under the Prisoners’ Release on Licence (OBB) programme will be placed with a guarantor until the date their sentence ends.
The guarantor could be family members, employers or registered non-government organisations, said a Prisons Department official, who wanted to remain anonymous.
A total of 1,000 prisoners will be released under the OBB programme.
“The Prisons Department is always working to empower rehabilitation programmes in the community to help OBBs with rehabilitation before they are released.
“It is important for society to support this initiative so that we can give them (convicts) an opportunity to turn over a new leaf.
“As for employment of OBB prisoners, we will find them a job or their family would,” the source said, adding that the mechanism was the same as the Corporate Smart Internship (CSI) programme handled by parole officers.
The source said parole officers would also be monitoring the prisoners released under the programme.
Prisoners released under the programme do not have to return to prison unless they commit an offence during the (release) period.
On April 18, the Prisons Department said there were some criteria prisoners under the OBB programme had to meet.
The three criteria and stages were at the institutional level, followed by the committee at the state level and subsequently the Prisons Department headquarters level before inmates could be released under licence.
Those who qualify must have been given a jail term of less than one year and served at least a third of their sentence.
Those who attended rehabilitation programmes in prison have been guaranteed a job or place to stay by employers, family and NGOs would be considered.
Prisoners released under licence would be monitored by the parole officer of the district they live in through home and workplace visits as well as calls.
The programme, in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidilfitri, will see the release of some 1,000 prisoners who will be returning home to their families.
