Its director-general Nordin Muhamad said initiatives implemented since 2008, such as the parole system, compulsory attendance order, resident reintegration programme, licenced prisoner release and several other programmes could reduce overcrowding in prisons across the country.

He said there were a total of 82,539 prison inmates and of that number, 76,336 were in prison, while 6,203 had been placed in the community rehabilitation programmes.

“Currently, the prisons can only house about 66,000 inmates so there is overcrowding of about 10,000 inmates.

“This initiative is expected to reduce overcrowding, and we estimate that more offenders will be considered by the courts to undergo community rehabilitation programmes,” he said in briefing the media about the Offenders Compulsory Attendance (Amendment) Act 2022 at the department headquarters here.

Nordin said the implementation of the amended Act could provide an opportunity for minor offenders to serve their sentences outside prison.

The compulsory attendance order is an alternative punishment outside the prison walls for offenders who commit certain offences. Such offenders will carry out compulsory work in the interest of the community.

He added that the community rehabilitation programme had proven to be effective as it had successfully reduced the rate of repeat offenders. He estimated that only one in 400 released inmates returned to prison.

“We aim to reach 10,000 offenders to undergo compulsory attendance order this year and we have already reached 79.5%, and are confident that the number can be reached before November this year,” he said.

He said there were 52 compulsory attendance order centres. He hoped the government would consider adding 20 more across the country.