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 ©New
Straits Times (Used by permission)
by Farrah Naz Karim, Ili Liyana Mokhtar and Azira Shaharuddin
• Ex-prisoners, groups in support of conjugal visits
The Prisons Department believes that allowing families to
stay with prisoners for short durations will help in rehabilitation, write
Farrah Naz Karim, Ili Liyana Mokhtar and Azira Shaharuddin
PRISONERS may be allowed conjugal rights at mini-houses in
prisons following its success abroad in preparing inmates for re-entry into
society.
For 72 hours, they will be allowed to enjoy the semblance of home, in the
company of wives or husbands, children and parents.
This includes sex with spouses in the privacy of a room.
Sources said the frequency of visits will be at the discretion of prison
authorities.
The idea is to ensure that prisoners and their families do not face a “culture
shock” once the inmate is released.
The New Straits Times learned that the Prisons Department would be using
successful models from others countries as the basis of its proposal.
The sources said the department would ensure that the mini-houses were as
practical as possible for conjugal visits.
Prisoners enjoying such visits would be those who have shown good behaviour, do
not have sexually-transmitted diseases and who may soon be eligible for parole.
The privilege does not extend to those on death row, those undergoing
imprisonment for the course of their natural life or those convicted of sexual
crimes.
Also ineligible would be prisoners whose visits are limited to their lawyers and
law enforcers, and prisoners allowed only one visit a month by close family
members due to short sentences.
“It will not be their right, but rather a privilege.
“The visit is to allow closer ties between prisoners and their families for as
long as prison ethics and regulations are observed,” a source said.
The proposal outlines advantages of conjugal visits, such as its possible
contribution to the success of the parole system besides serving as a
motivational tool for prisoners.
“It can improve prisoner discipline, reduce pressure and stress in prison,
prevent prisoners reverting to criminal behaviour and reducing prison rape.”
Some Malaysians might protest the move with the belief that prisoners should not
be allowed a “normal” life as prison sentences were meant to separate inmates
from society and the advantages that it usually brings.
“The consideration for rehabilitation is lacking... they must remember that most
convicts do not serve time in jail all their life and will eventually be
released.
“If they return to society without rehabilitation... many will become victims
and society will be at risk,” one of the sources said.
He added that this was why strong family ties had to be promoted as an effective
rehabilitation tool for prisoners.
The proposal states that social rehabilitation of prisoners through enhanced
family ties would enable prisoners to be accepted later into the community.
“These visits would also help keep the family intact even while one serves a
sentence in prison. We must remember that conjugal visits may be mostly
associated with sex but there are other rights in marriage that could be
observed under this system.”
These include allowing full parental contact with children, allowing love to
grow among members of a family and enabling spouses to confide in each other.
It is understood that the Prisons Department is pushing strongly for the
proposal to be adopted to improve the chances of prisoners not relapsing into
criminal activities due to rejection by society.
The department also firmly believes the system will prevent a breakdown of
marriages when a spouse is serving a long sentence.
NewsFocus: Ex-prisoners, groups in support of conjugal
visits
FORMER prisoner-turned-drug rehabilitation centre president Mohd Yunus Pathi
feels that conjugal visits are important for married prisoners serving time, as
sex is a basic biological need.
“We can’t deny that humans need contact. When prisoners are
denied this, it can cause severe stress that can result in sexual disorders
later,” said Yunus who served time for dadah abuse and is the president of
Pengasih.
Another former convict who only wanted to be known as Evan said the proposal was
good as it could help solve emotional problems among prisoners like depression
and stress.
He said physical contact was crucial to prisoners who were locked up.
“It is important, especially for married prisoners, as it can also curb
homosexuality in prison, which is a very big problem,” he said.
Evan, a software technician with a child, has been behind
bars three times for dadah-related offences, with the longest term being four
years.
He was freed seven years ago and has never looked back since.
K. Ganesan, who was detained at the Simpang Renggam Detention Centre for four
years, said conjugal visits were a positive approach to rehabilitation.
“Without conjugal visits, prisoners don’t have physical contact with family
members and this contributes to stress,” the former gang member said.
He said contact reduced frustration among prisoners, making them more positive
and productive.
“With visits, their behaviour can change as the wife can encourage the husband
to turn over a new leaf,” he said.
Perak Discharged Prisoners Aid Society chairman Tan Sri V. Jeyaratnam said he
supported the proposal as conjugal visits would help alleviate stress and mental
suffering among prisoners.
He said prisoners often regretted what they had done and longed for time with
their family.
“The visits would maintain family ties and help them return to their families on
their release,” he added.
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