The Uganda Prisons Service delegation, led by Jacob Kivumbi, Commissioner of Prisons in Charge of Custodial Services has visited Malaysia to study the country’s parole, rehabilitation and community corrections programs and the visit aimed to adopt best practices to reduce recidivism and improve public safety in Uganda.
The delegation, comprising representatives from Uganda Prisons Service, Uganda Law Society and Ministries of Internal Affairs and Justice, met with Malaysia’s Undersecretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Parole Secretariat Division.
The delegation learned about Malaysia’s Parole Management Information System and community-based corrections programs designed to lower reoffending rates.
Kivumbi emphasized the importance of benchmarking Malaysia’s advanced correctional systems, stating that it would help Uganda modernize its parole and rehabilitation frameworks and the visit highlights Uganda’s commitment to humane custody and effective reintegration, as mandated by the 1995 Constitution.
The Malaysian Undersecretary praised Uganda’s reform efforts and expressed support for continued collaboration and this benchmark visit is expected to inform policy reforms in Uganda, particularly in strengthening parole processes and rehabilitation programs.
Kivumbi noted that learning from Malaysia’s successes, Uganda can address challenges like prison overcrowding, limited rehabilitation resources, and reintegration support and the visit marks a significant step towards creating a correctional system that balances punishment with rehabilitation and enhances societal safety.
