Criminologist and psychologist Geshina Ayu Mat Saat said it was not appropriate to have juvenile delinquents placed in an adult prison.
“Currently, there are intense rehabilitation programmes for adult criminals in Malaysian prisons. The assessments, target population, and guided rehabilitation programmes are tailored for adults and not for children.
“This means that unless otherwise stated and validated in the Malaysian context, assessment for adults should not be used to conduct an assessment on children,” Geshina told FMT.
Geshina was commenting on a media report that the education ministry was reconsidering a proposal to send students with serious disciplinary problems for rehabilitation in lock-ups and prisons.
The report had quoted Education Minister Mahdzir Khalid as saying that his ministry was discussing with the prisons department to determine the feasibility of the programme.
She said there had been literature that showed that incarcerating juvenile delinquents with adult offenders could result in more harm than good.
“There are a range of concerns that need to be addressed. These include their vulnerability to older criminals, gullibility and the potential to be groomed for criminal careers, exposure to negative environments that may hinder positive psychosocial growth, and may increase criminogenic predispositions,” she said.
Geshina said most of the offences that children commit were not even punishable with incarceration among adult criminals.
Thus, she believed that community rehabilitation programmes were more effective than sending juvenile delinquents to prison.
Geshina said such children might even develop higher levels of hostility (aggression, anger, irritability, resentment), persecution complex (suspicious, fear of losing autonomy, difficulties in expressing their hostility), and even depression after being placed with adult criminals.
In addition, the children would be stigmatised and would face negative labelling and social exclusion.
Universiti Sains Malaysia associate professor P Sundramoorthy said sending minors to prison would only create a negative stigma.
He said the “fear tactic” might not have the desired effect on the delinquent children, adding that it was merely a replication of a reality television show from the west.
He said the prison system in Malaysia was different from those in the west and it might not have reached an advance level where it could be a model for others to follow.
“If we want to give the students exposure, there is enough on the internet, YouTube, and reality programmes which show them where they would end up if they continue being problematic students.
“I think everyone knows about life in prison, we cannot underestimate the intelligence of the young people nowadays because we are in a different era,” he said.
Sundramoorthy said students might be problematic because of issues with their families, peer groups, the schools or other contributing factors.
Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) vice-president Lee Lam Thye, meanwhile, said the proposal to send juvenile delinquents to prison could be considered for serious cases like gangsterism, drugs and serious crimes.
He said the education ministry should send such students for rehabilitation programmes in Henry Gurney reform schools while those who were only involved in less serious disciplinary cases, such as playing truant and loitering, should be sent for counselling.
“For those who are sent for rehabilitation in lock-ups or prisons, I hope the authorities will ensure that their studies are not affected while they are undergoing the rehabilitation process.”