TAIPING: The Prisons Department is ready to assist the Education Ministry in creating education modules to help students with serious disciplinary problems.
Its director-general Datuk Seri Zulkifli Omar said if implemented, the modules will be used to educate delinquent students during their visits to prisons.
He said the purpose of the proposed jail visits is to show the delinquents what is in store for them they do not repent.
“We are ready to assist the ministry by producing suitable modules for the students.
"We cooperated with the ministry before under the ‘Message from Prison’ programme, where inmates would go to schools and give talks about their experience living in a jail.
“The same module will also be introduced but this time, the students are expected to visit the prisons.
"However, this matter is still under discussion,” he told reporters after attending the Correctional Graduates’ End of Training parade at Prison Officers Training Centre here today.
Zulkifli said the new modules will include counselling sessions as well as operant conditioning, a learning method that involves rewards and punishments for certain types of behaviours.
“This method is widely used in the United Kingdom and the same exposure is also given to the students there so that they will not easily influenced to commit crime.
“But what I am afraid of is that we will not get a green light from some of the parents. Some of them think that this is not the best solution to help their children.
“However, I strongly believe that this is a good preventive measure. We want to give students a ‘taste’ of what types of punishment criminals are subjected to.
“We want them to realise what awaits them in jail if they continue committing offences,” he added.
It was reported that students with serious disciplinary problems would be required to visit prisons and Henry Gurney School, as part of the Education Ministry's efforts to combat social illness in schools.
Its minister, Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid, had said the visits would be similar to an educational or awareness tour in prisons, instead of a rehabilitation programme.