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Malaysian Prison Department
Law enforcement agency From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Malaysian Prison Department (Malay: Jabatan Penjara Malaysia; Jawi: جابتن ڤنجارا مليسيا; ), is a department under Malaysia's Ministry of Home Affairs responsible for prisons where offenders sentenced by the courts are held. These prisons also serve as detention and recovery institutions.
The department is headquartered in the Malaysia Prison Complex (Kompleks Penjara Kajang) in Kajang, Selangor.[1][2]
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History
Summarize
Perspective
During British colonial rule and the Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945, penal institutions were the responsibility of the individual states' governments with their respective regulations. In the Straits Settlements, a Superintendent based in Singapore served as the supervisor and inspected the institutions under his jurisdiction.
The Straits Settlements were the earliest to build their own prisons while the Federated Malay States did so only after the British set up a responsible department. Taiping Prison, the largest at the time, was built in 1879. Prisons were built with the main purpose of bringing suffering to the inmates in the hope that it would deter people from committing crimes.
In 1881, Sikh warders were brought in from India to assist Malay warders while vocational instructors from Hong Kong were brought in too an effort to introduce trades to the inmates. Among the earliest of these were rock breaking and carpentry. An attempt was made to categorise the inmates in 1882. Then, in 1889, European warders were appointed at some prisons.
With the formation of the Federated Malay States, Taiping Prison became a detention centre for long-term prisoners from Perak, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor. In 1923, a visiting justice system[clarification needed] was introduced and prison industries expanded to include printing work, weaving, sewing, rattan weaving, and metalwork. Rock-breaking work was abolished in 1924 and replaced with the pounding of coconut husks.
During the Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945, the Imperial Japanese Army also used the prisons for housing prisoners-of-war (POWs). All records of the prisons and the POWs for this period were subsequently destroyed by the Japanese by the end of the war.
After the war, the Prison Office was established to administer all prisons in Malaya. The post-war era saw the return of peace, and modern administrative methods were introduced. The 1948 Malayan Emergency resulted in an increase in inmate numbers, which in turn caused overcrowding in the prisons. This disrupted the development of the prison system and it was only towards the end of 1949 when peace returned that prison development could be carried out smoothly.
The Prisons Ordinance 1952 and the Prisons Regulations 1953, based on the "modern treatment" concept, were introduced to replace old legislation. In 1953, the Criminal Justice Bill was passed, abolishing the use of the cat o' nine tails for corporal punishment and replacing the term "penal servitude" with "prison".
Following Independence Day in 1957, the first Prisons Commissioner was appointed to take charge of the administration of all prisons in Malaya. In 1963, with the formation of Malaysia, prisons in Sabah and Sarawak came under the jurisdiction of the Prisons Department.
On 2 November 1995, the Prison Act 1995 was introduced to replace the former Prison Act which in turn was superseded on 1 September 2000 by the Prison Regulations 2000. The previous acts and regulations had been in use for a long time, thus changes and reforms were necessary to meet current needs and demands to streamline prison management and administration. The Malaysian Prison Department also carries out capital punishment in the form of long-drop hanging, and corporal punishment in the form of whipping with a rotan.
In an era of development and modernisation, the Malaysian Prison Department realises that it should not to be content with its past achievements, but should instead move forward and innovate in order to assist the prison administration in dealing with modern culture through criminology, penology and overall social control.[3]
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Insignia
- The fourteen-point star represents the 13 States and the Federal Government of Malaysia, while the star and the crescent symbolise Islam, the official religion of Malaysia.
- The crossed keys symbolise the authority and responsibility delegated by the department in the performance of its duties.
- The paddy flower symbolises solidarity and close co-operation by multiracial staff at various levels in the hierarchy.
- The green background, the official colour of the Prisons Department, signifies allegiance to the Malaysian leader.
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Motto
Source:[4]
Cheerful, Sincere and Dedicated
- Shall faithfully carry out departmental duties to uphold the national criminal legal system and shoulder the task of rehabilitation of offenders entrusted upon the department by the nation with full responsibility and dedication.
Green colour
- Symbolises the objective of the department to reform citizens who have lapsed into moral decay and turn them into productive individuals who are once again able to fit into society as useful citizens able to fulfill their social obligations.
Sketch Heart and Hand
- Symbolises the commitment by society to re-accommodate ex-convicts into social institutions without any kind of prejudice which may jeopardise their rehabilitation programme.
Silver background
Symbolises the sincerity of the departments management system in generating commitment and co-operation among society at large, offender families and the department to ensure the success of rehabilitation programmes.
Organisational structure
Summarize
Perspective
Prison heads
Specialised units
Trup Tindakan Cepat
Control and Prevention Unit
The Control and Prevention Unit, known in Malay as Unit Kawalan dan Pencegahan (UKP), is the paramilitary arm of the Prison Department, tasked with maintaining order and security within prison facilities.[5]
The UKP's duties include:[5]
- Patrolling prison premises
- Preventing the smuggling of contraband into prisons
- Controlling riots and ensuring order among inmates
- Inspecting newly arrived prisoners
- Managing internal gate controls within prison facilities
UKP recruits from the ranks of prison officers, favouring individuals with larger, more robust builds due to the physical demands of the role, including the need to overpower inmates during inspections. Members of this unit are identified by their maroon berets and their black-and-white camouflage combat uniforms.[5]
This unit functions much like an infantry unit, adapted to the unique challenges of correctional environments.
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List of leaders
Commissioners general
Deputy commissioners general
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Institutions
Headquarters
- Malaysian Prison Headquarters, Kajang
- Sarawak Prison Headquarters, Kuching
- Sabah Prison Headquarters, Kota Kinabalu
Prison
Kedah
- Pokok Sena Prison
- Sungai Petani Prison
- Alor Star Prison
Penang
- Penang Prison
- Seberang Prai Prison
Perak
- Taiping Prison
- Tapah Prison
Selangor
- Sungai Buloh Prison
- Kajang Prison
- Kajang Women's Prison
Negeri Sembilan
- Jelebu Prison
- Seremban Prison
Melaka
- Ayer Keroh Prison
- Sg. Udang Prison
- Banda Hilir Prison
Johor
- Simpang Renggam Prison
- Kluang Prison
Pahang
- Bentong Prison
- Penor Prison
Terengganu
- Marang Prison
Kelantan
- Pengkalan Chepa Prison
Sarawak
- Puncak Borneo Prison
- Sibu Prison
- Miri Prison
- Bintulu Prison
- Sri Aman Prison
- Limbang Prison
Sabah
- Kota Kinabalu Prison
- Kota Kinabalu Women's Prison
- Tawau Prison
- Sandakan Prison
Correctional Centre
- Perlis Correctional Centre
- Puncak Alam Correctional Centre
- Labuan Correctional Centre
Juvenile School
- Henry Gurney School, Telok Mas, Malacca (boys & girls)
- Henry Gurney School, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (all-girls)
- Henry Gurney School, Keningau, Sabah (all-boys)
- Henry Gurney School, Puncak Borneo, Kuching, Sarawak (all-boys)
- Henry Gurney School, Batu Gajah, Perak
Defunct Prison and Headquarters
- Malaysian Prison Headquarters, Taiping, Perak
- Pudu Prison,[6] Kuala Lumpur (1895–1996)
- Johor Bahru Prison, Johor (1882–2005)
- Kuala Lipis Prison, Kuala Lipis, Pahang
- Kuantan Prison, Kuantan, Pahang
- Pulau Jerejak Prison, Penang
- Sim Sim Prison,[7] Sandakan, Sabah (1850–1981)
- Banda Hilir Prison (1900-2009),now as Museum Prison
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Equipment
Malaysian Prison Department operators are equipped with multi-specialized weaponry and marine assault vehicles, including:
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Major cases and incidents
1981 Botak Chin
1986 Pudu Prison siege
Famous inmates
- Botak Chin
- Kevin Barlow and Brian Chambers
- Mona Fandey
- Najib Razak, former Prime Minister
Malaysian Prison Department in popular culture
Television
References
External links
Wikiwand - on
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