Recommendations ❖ Members of Parliament should support the establishment of a Royal Commission to reform the prison as it requires experts from multi-disciplines to look into the reforms needed. ❖ Data collection and sharing by government should be improved to empower stakeholders and to support the prison reform agenda. ❖ NHRIs must be equipped with the mandate and authority to monitor places of detention and to provide human rights training and consultation in matters relating to prison reforms. SESSION 6: CSOs PARTNERSHIP FOR MORE EFFECTIVE PRISONS REFORMS 7.1 Mr. Samuel Lim, Manager of Community Development, Malaysian Care Mr. Lim in his presentation expressed his views that: 1) Prison reform should focus on pre-release and prison officers. 2) Appropriate facilities must be provided for prisoners to be resettled in society. 3) Case management support for prisoners should be provided. Everyone must be aware that the reality of life after imprisonment is not easy after the release of a prisoner. Prisoners are often shunned by society due to the trauma caused by them in the past. Where would they go if they do not have anywhere. Mr. Lim further mentioned that there are many challenges to reintegration He stated that social stigma needs to be addressed. He further elaborated that the YouTurn Project84 objective is to give equal opportunities to ex-prisoners. It has three core values: 1) Promotes equal opportunity for ex-offenders in their daily lives. 2) Recognises that family reconciliation builds a strong foundation for ex-offenders. 3) Inspires community acceptance to support the reintegration of ex-offenders. 7.2 Ms. Gloria Lai, Regional Director for Asia, International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) Ms. Lai in her introductory presentation stated that the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) is a global network consisting of over 190 NGO’s. She further said that IDPC aims: 1) to amplify and to strengthen a diverse global movement to reverse the harms caused by punitive drug policies; 84 The project is led by Malaysian CARE, an aspires to motivate and rebuild the lives of ex-offenders by encouraging society to give them a second chance and a helping hand to earn an honest living; and enable them to reintegrate well into society. 67