approach towards enhancing knowledge scale and attitude of inmates. The programme facilitates the implementation of community-based programmes such as Parole System 2008 and Compulsory Attendance Audit 2010 through the continuity of rehabilitation programs outside of the prison wall. The Department of Prison, Malaysia realised that there is an urgent need to transform its system. Among the challenges leading to the need to transform the system of prisons in Malaysia are as follows: i. Overcrowding due to insufficient resources in managing the prisons, less effective rehabilitation programs, inadequate facilities and amenities and limited sources for basic needs17 and high occupational hazard rates18.19 ii. Ageing facilities have made it even more difficult to cope with current needs and function of the prison. Prison environments have also become less conducive towards dynamic security and rehabilitative activities. There are six (6) prisons in Malaysia20 with ageing infrastructure and facilities dating back to a hundred years old. They are not suitable and irrelevant to the current scope of correctional system which is moving from criminal or retributive justice to restorative justice. iii. Legal aspects such as enhanced and intense law enforcement, war on drugs and crime, harsher criminal penalties and the lack of alternative sentences were also contributing factors to overcrowding. The Department of Prison, Malaysia felt that there was a need to change and to transform the management and the administration of prison to ensure that it is parallel and relevant with the current and future development. iv. Recidivism has proven that restorative justice is more effective than retributive justice.21 The lower recidivism rates due to restorative justice system shows the effectiveness of community correction and the need to expand alternatives to imprisonment. The Prison Department, Malaysia has identified five core functions underlying the implementation of prison transformation. i. Security and safety - a holistic approach must be carried out to ensure the security and safety aspect of prison system is in line with current needs and coexists with other activities and functions of the correctional system. It can be done by establishing a correctional council to reduce overcrowding through administrative and engineered methods as well as the expansion of alternative sentence. The need of technological advancements such as 17 Limited resources including fund, human and equipment. Occupational hazards in prison in Malaysia include transmission of infectious diseases, increased staff stress levels, safety threats to staff and lethargy. 19 Overcrowding rate of prisons in Malaysia in 2020 is about 32.6% and but post-transformation initiative has seen a decrease of the rate to 8%. 20 The prisons namely are Penjara Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan; Penjara Batu Gajah, Perak; Penjara Seremban, Negeri Sembilan; Penjara Taiping, Perak; Penjara Muar, Johor; and Penjara Pulau Pinang. 21 The Department of Prison, Malaysia recorded recidivism rate of 15% among inmates who undergo rehabilitation in prison. In contrast, inmates who had served their sentence has a recidivism rate of 0.44%. In addition, offenders serving their sentence in community such as compulsory attendance has a recidivism rate of 0.2%. 18 8