Seeking rehabilitation of inmates
Attentive: Members of the C1 division of Pekerti listen to a briefing about the crime and punishment in Brunei, and the role and responsibilities of the Maraburong Prison. Picture: Jefrisalas
Thursday, July 3, 2008
MEMBERS of the C1 division of Pekerti, an association for police wives, and their children yesterday went to the Maraburong Prison to learn how the local prison works, and how inmates carry out the punishment for the crimes they committed.
There, they were briefed by the prison's Public Relations Officer, Idris Hj Abas.
"No matter how highly educated one is, if they divert from the right path for instance by getting involved in drugs, corruption or other offences it will lead to the detriment of their future," he pointed out.
He also listed the top three offences in Brunei drug abuse, theft and rape.
Sadly, said Idris, the majority of these offenders are locals. He cited the statistics of the 65 drug offenders at the prison, 60 are Bruneians; 39 out of the 48 convicted theft criminals are locals; while out of 17 rape offenders, 14 are locals.
Maraburong Prison became officially operational on August 1, 2001. With a maximum capacity of 200, it now houses 140 inmates with the vision of becoming an excellent rehabilitation institution.
Idris spoke that while the prison seeks to rehabilitate the inmates, some had upon their release repeated the crimes again. It all depends on the individual's mental and physical perseverance, he added.
After the briefing, the group was taken on a tour of the prison's premises by Hj Zainal Hj Ismail, the Prison Superintendent. One of the stops was the visiting room with CCTV surveillance, where inmates can communicate with their visitors via an intercom although they are separated by a glass window.
Other stops on the tour included the kitchen, where the inmates cook their own food and the vocational training room.
The visitors were also given a demonstration of the caning punishment by one of the prison officials. They were
shown the protective gear worn by offenders, and also the two different canes used for various age groups.
Earlier, Idris had told them that even the act of vandalism (pemugut) can earn the offender strokes of the cane. He added that while female offenders are exempted from caning, if convicted for crime related to drug abuse they cannot escape the death penalty punishment.
Caning is carried out for drug, rape, housebreaking, theft and vandalism offences, among others. Three groups are exempted from this punishment: those aged 50 years and above, women and those given the death sentence.
Hj Zainal said in addition to the rehabilitation programme, the prison's officials also help to improve the welfare of the inmates by encouraging their relatives to visit.
The visit was the group's second educational trip to the Prisons Department; the first was to Jerudong Prison on June 28, 2008.The Brunei Times
There, they were briefed by the prison's Public Relations Officer, Idris Hj Abas.
"No matter how highly educated one is, if they divert from the right path for instance by getting involved in drugs, corruption or other offences it will lead to the detriment of their future," he pointed out.
He also listed the top three offences in Brunei drug abuse, theft and rape.
Sadly, said Idris, the majority of these offenders are locals. He cited the statistics of the 65 drug offenders at the prison, 60 are Bruneians; 39 out of the 48 convicted theft criminals are locals; while out of 17 rape offenders, 14 are locals.
Maraburong Prison became officially operational on August 1, 2001. With a maximum capacity of 200, it now houses 140 inmates with the vision of becoming an excellent rehabilitation institution.
Idris spoke that while the prison seeks to rehabilitate the inmates, some had upon their release repeated the crimes again. It all depends on the individual's mental and physical perseverance, he added.
After the briefing, the group was taken on a tour of the prison's premises by Hj Zainal Hj Ismail, the Prison Superintendent. One of the stops was the visiting room with CCTV surveillance, where inmates can communicate with their visitors via an intercom although they are separated by a glass window.
Other stops on the tour included the kitchen, where the inmates cook their own food and the vocational training room.
The visitors were also given a demonstration of the caning punishment by one of the prison officials. They were
shown the protective gear worn by offenders, and also the two different canes used for various age groups.
Earlier, Idris had told them that even the act of vandalism (pemugut) can earn the offender strokes of the cane. He added that while female offenders are exempted from caning, if convicted for crime related to drug abuse they cannot escape the death penalty punishment.
Caning is carried out for drug, rape, housebreaking, theft and vandalism offences, among others. Three groups are exempted from this punishment: those aged 50 years and above, women and those given the death sentence.
Hj Zainal said in addition to the rehabilitation programme, the prison's officials also help to improve the welfare of the inmates by encouraging their relatives to visit.
The visit was the group's second educational trip to the Prisons Department; the first was to Jerudong Prison on June 28, 2008.The Brunei Times
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