8 FEBRUARY 2026, SUNGAI JAWI - The Centre for Drug Research, in partnership with the School of Educational Studies and Centre for Islamic Development Management Studies (ISDEV), Universiti Sains Malaysia, has consolidated its expertise to implement an inter-faculty, community-based project for prisoners participating in the parole program in Penang. This landmark initiative was supported by the Penang Prison Department.

This project seeks to strengthen existing parole programme activities by offering additional support and guidance through key components such as counselling, religious discourse, and relapse prevention. These efforts aim to enhance parolees’ self-esteem, support their recovery and long-term stability, and promote smooth community reintegration at the end of their parole programme.

Introduced more than two decades ago by the Malaysian Prison Department, the parole programme has been praised for its effectiveness in supporting prisoners’ productivity and facilitating their smooth transition back into the community. The parole programme is exclusively intended for petty offenders, most of whom are narcotics offenders. All applications are subject to approval by the parole board before eligible individuals are permitted to serve at least half of their sentence outside the prison walls and within the community.

Following several field visits and in-depth discussions with the Prison Department, facility caretakers, and parole clients, the team developed a series of intervention modules grounded in the established therapeutic community approach. Counselling, psychospiritual discourse, and relapse prevention workshops and activities led by the Centre for Drug Research emerged as the key interventions of the pilot project. This community-based project is conducted twice a month, with each cycle lasting approximately three months. The fortnightly counselling sessions are facilitated by trained counsellors or students enrolled in the Master of Counselling programme at the School of Educational Studies.

Having completed the first cycle, the project members are currently reviewing their modules to resolve early-stage issues before launching the second cycle in due course.

Parole clients interviewed expressed gratitude, noting that the community-based project boosted their morale and significantly supported their rehabilitation, spiritual growth, and recovery after participating in the pilot project.

Prepared by Prof. Dr. Zurina Hassan & Assoc. Prof. Dr. Darshan Singh Mahinder Singh