Discrimination against former inmates

Do you believe in second chances?

Let us rephrase the question.

Do you believe in giving second chances?

In the past decade, many inmates were released from prison in hopes of peacefully reintegrating back into the community while moving on from their past mistakes.

The discrimination and stigmatisation faced by former inmates when looking for employment are not only discouraging and hurtful but dissipates any chances of them getting a job post-release.

Understandably, the worry behind these comments is justified: What if they return to their criminal activities? Why should I risk my company and employees? Will I be able to hire other employees if they found out I hired a former inmate?

Frankly, as justified as these worries are, this one-sided perspective has not been helpful at all. Instead, it creates a negative reaction as seen through a number of former inmates resulting in recidivism due to failure in reintegrating back into the community.

Fortunately, Malaysian CARE, a non-profit Christian organisation established in 1979, has been heavily involved in integrating former inmates back into the community by providing programs to equip them to obtain jobs post-release.

“CARE runs programs inside [the prison] and after release as well. So as we run the programs, part of our programs is to help them plan what they want to achieve in life and what to do after release,” said Samuel Lim, Manager of Malaysian CARE.

However, with most job interviews or employment forms, there will be a section where individuals would have to state if they have had any previous convictions, posing a dilemma of either getting caught lying or reducing their chances at obtaining a job.

Hence, Malaysian CARE has formed a holistic process in helping existing and former inmates categorised into three parts: Spirituality, Awareness and intervention; pre-release planning, and Financial Literacy to help them prepare for post-release.

There will also be aftercare programs where Malaysian CARE continues to communicate with them.

Taking into account their living environment, Lim went on to elaborate on their former living environment and how that is not a good place for them to return to post-release.

“There’s a lot of trigger factors there; it may cause relapse. So we prepare a halfway home for them to prepare them for education [youth and juvenile], vocational training, and jobs.”

Halfway homes, Rumah Petros for the males and Rumah Kepercayaan for the females, are fully equipped with the necessary amenities a home would have.

Rumah Petros

Source: Malaysian CARE

This is to provide a holistic environment to help former inmates get accustomed to the new environment better alongside other former inmates.

Many sectors are still skeptical in hiring former inmates, one of which is the government agencies.

Hence, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, Malaysia’s former Minister of Youth and Sports, proposed and executed the Yellow Ribbon Project, originating from Singapore, here in Malaysia three years earlier at Penjara Sungai Buloh. Since then, it has benefitted over 24,000 youths.

“Malaysian CARE recently spearheaded the YouTurn campaign inspired by Yellow Ribbon, where equal opportunity, family reconciliation, and community acceptance are promoted. Employment is not the only answer to reintegration,” said Lim.

Earlier this year, Ashraf (not his real name) shared with the nation his experience as a former inmate and stressed the importance of family reconciliation and support towards others like him.

“Please,” he said, “make it easier for them to reintegrate and don’t make them ashamed of their past.”

The struggle is real and is happening much more often than we expect.

Malaysian CARE is just one of the many heavily involved organizations in helping former inmates stand on their two feet once again.

For more information, head over to Malaysian CARE's website and Facebook.