Almost half of Sabah women in jail locals – and rising | Daily Express Malaysia

Kota Kinabalu: Forty per cent of women in Sabah's prisons are Malaysians, a majority of them of schooling age who got into trouble after dabbling with drugs. And their numbers are going up. "The figure fluctuates, but lately there has been an increase in the number of women involved in drugs, there are some who were jailed for having drugs but the majority are here for substance abuse," said State Prisons Department Deputy Director Nora Musa.

She said in the case of women, a majority are influenced into substance abuse by those close to them, perhaps those they call friends, boyfriends or even their husbands.

She said about 60 per cent of their women inmates are foreigners.

"But we see more of our locals getting into drugs and we are doing our level best to get them on the right track through rehabilitation as well as Jalinan Kasih programmes like we have today," she said during the programme held in conjunction with the Raya celebrations here Friday.

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Eleven female convicts got to spend several hours with their loved ones during the Jalinan Kasih programme jointly organised by the Kota Kinabalu Women's Prisons Department and the Henry Gurney School.

One of them was 24-year-old Fatimah (not her real name) who was sentenced to five years in prison for a drug offence in 2012.

"I wanted to be a policewoman, but drugs got me into trouble, and after being in and out of prison 11 times, I think it is high time for me to change and start afresh," said the woman from Kudat.

She started experimenting with drugs at 12 and admitted to being unhappy when she was first caught for drugs.

"I had no regret and I kept doing drugs, but it is time to change. I miss my mother, I am lucky to be among the selected few who get to spend a few hours with family during the Jalinan Kasih programme.

"I want to be able to hug my mother everyday once I get out from prison three years from now," she said.

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There are currently 301 female prisoners including 32 juveniles in the Kota Kinabalu Women's Prisons Department which can accommodate 300 prisoners at any one time. Nora said they normally focus on home science programmes, teach the inmates how to sew, bake, cook and weave handicrafts.

"Malaysian prisoners who attend skills training programme will be given certificates, while juveniles will be sent to our Henry Gurney School and encouraged to sit for the national examinations.

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