"A Volunteer Program Behind Gates and Bars"

23rd June 2023, my second consecutive Friday without rehearsals for major events in my university. It was a lazy lazy Friday, no lectures, no master of ceremony (MC) practices. At 9.01am, a string of forwarded messages popped up and caught my attention.

I was contemplating, whether to volunteer myself, or not, for a few reasons:

1. I did not know the exact date for my German exam.

2. 26th July was the date for my last paper of the semester, which happened to also be the date of evaluation for the programme.

3. One of my presentations, with the time tba, would be on the date of the programme briefing

4. I was scared and uncertain(?)

I have always been a fan of watching YouTube videos about criminal psychology and prison (Inside the Probation Service & Inside Maximum Security by CNA, as well as Behind Bars by Free Documentary, JCS criminal psychology, and the list goes on). Not to mention, 《怒火街头 》（Ghetto Justice) was, and IS still my favorite TVB drama series, it involved many cases on drug, theft and other crimes around Hong Kong. I always wondered how Malaysia Prisons look like, what were the motives of the convicts, for we do not have much local documentary for that.

And... yes, I tagged along to get myself registered for the programme, and of course convinced a few friends to join. I thought it would be a great, relevant experience for us, and boy was I right. It was good checkpoint for us (year 1 psychology and social work students) to actually reflect on our learning outcomes and finally relate them with practical, real-life scenarios.

Before heading to Prison

We had our briefing session from a psychology officer and a psychotherapist a few weeks before heading to prison. The session prepared us, in terms of skill, and also in terms of mental preparation. To become helpful facilitators, we were reminded to address the female inmates as "kak", use down to earth language to not sound like interrogators, guide the direction of interviews with the inmates, last but not least to dress and act adhering to prison visitor rules. We had mock Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and mock Rhythmic Movement Training International (RMTi) among the volunteers to understand what had to be done or conducted correctly.

The briefing created an eerie, scary impression of prison for us, for we were told there *might* be bad odor as *some* inmates do not wash up frequently, and that *certain* inmates would act rude and try to manipulate us. 

We were supposed to attend a pre- evaluation before the programme started on 26th. However due to my finals, I had to excuse myself from that particular slot.

First Impressions

We woke up super early for the first day, for we could not predict how bad the traffic would be (I mean, it's Kajang eh). We handed our IC to the authorities and got blue passes (refer to the first picture attached) before getting to visit prison. To my surprise, there were quite a number of stores inside the compound, yeaa pass the gate of Kajang Prison, where some inmates provide service to the prison staff or visitors as cooks, bakers, beauty spa therapists, and batik designers. 

I was pretty anxious, the only two "rules" I remembered was:

1. Bring one pen in, bring one pen out.

2. Kaki kiri masuk, kaki kanan keluar. (local islamic culture)

After a pat-down search and putting our belongings in the locker, we finally stepped into the women's prison of Kajang. 

I must say, the atmosphere there was similar to a campsite. There were a mosque, a school-like building, a kitchen-like area, a laundry dobby, a cafe......Murals, aspiring words and posters could be seen everywhere. We saw inmates with different colored clothing---green, red, blue, white, purple, and secondary school baju kurung set (for juveniles). 

And did I mention, I was initially afraid to make eye contact with the inmates, yet most of the inmates were nodding, smiling and greeting us nicely there. 

We had a hearty breakfast (teh-o and scrumptious nasi goreng kampung) prepared by the inmates, then we went straight into the building of the Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Division building. We were welcomed by the warm smiles of the inmates, alongside noises of children playing on the first floor. According to the civil law here, children below the age of three can stay with their mothers in prison. The second floor is where the programme was conducted---- the aisle was covered in tiles; the activity hall was covered in carpet. As we were walking towards the activity hall, we passed by their rooms where they sleep, rest, read, and shower. 

"Selamat pagi puan! (Good morning madam!)" the inmate leader of the programme greeted.

"Selamat pagi puan!" followed the other 29 inmates.

The female inmates chosen for this programme were mostly convicts of drug offences, in the age range of 25-36. They look like normal people outside of prison, they are lively and active in asking and answering questions.

The Program Itself

Now let's talk about what we actually did at prison. Well of course we volunteered ourselves as facilitators of the programme, which means... We facilitate the programme. Alright straight to the point, the name of the program is "UBAH", which means change in Malay. This program aims to help instill continuous change in behavior among the inmates after their release from prison.

We were there to help find out why they were in prison, and figure out how to make them become better individuals once they are released from prison. By adopting psychological and counseling approaches, the programme aims to prevent inmates from returning to the same offence and to assist inmates in early planning after their release. There were a few sessions we facilitated, including some fun ice breaking activities, physical exercises, evaluation, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Rhythmic Movement Therapy Training International (RMTi) and art therapy. I'll not get into too much detail for each and every activity carried out there, so here are some of them which were quite remarkable, for me at least.

ICE BREAKERS

Ice breaking with the inmates was what you would expect in a typical ice breaker game with a bunch of secondary school students: fun and energetic. The session went pretty normal, but I would say it was crucial for us, as it erased the anxiety and tension between us volunteers and the inmates. Simple childhood games were conducted as ice breakers, and it showed us that the inmates followed instructions well, were willing to give good cooperation, and have creative strategies to win matches. Like I've mentioned, the ice breakers made us volunteers break the inmates' stereotypes and led the inmates to feel more relaxed for the upcoming slots. Verily, at the end of day one, when an open-mic sharing opportunity was given, one of the inmates teared up, exclaiming how grateful they were, seeing us sitting down, playing games and chatting with them. It made me think, are they scared that people would be scared of them?

ART THERAPY

Art therapy was also carried out on the first day of the programme. It is a projective way to let the inmates have a comfortable medium to express their stories and feelings. Just like Rorschach Inkblot Test and Thematic Apperception Tests, art therapy infers a person's motives, conflicts, and unconscious dynamics on the basis of what is colored or drawn. The inmates did mandala coloring first, to promote focused attention and some "art senses tingling", according to the psychology officer. Then, they were given a piece of drawing block each to draw and color whatever they want. The session was quite difficult for me to facilitate at first, for I was in charge of assisting three inmates of different races (Malay, Chinese, Indian), which meant I had to alternate a few languages throughout the session. Fortunately, they were pretty willing to share their life at home and at prison, although they were shy at first. I did notice the inmates were really expressive through their art although they kept whining, they "had no idea what to draw" or that "they are not great at drawing", houses, family members, a stuffed doll, food...... drawing the things in life which hold a special place in their art, everyone was smiling ear-to-ear at the hallway.

CBT

I partnered up with another girl to help facilitate this session, and we only managed to do it with one inmate, for she has so much to share with us. The purpose of CBT is to recognize negative thoughts and behaviors which could affect the inmates' emotions and actions. It was my first time sitting really close to an inmate, and I am so glad she (the inmate) put her trust in us, and was willing to share her childhood traumas and tragedies in life. I recall her saying "Maaf ya, kalau saya nangis, sebab saya selalu nangis apabila cakap tentang ibu bapa saya. (I'm sorry if I cry, because I always cry when I talk about my parents," It was definitely not easy for her to open up to us, and even sharing her anxiety and concerns once she steps out of prison. Chatting with her broadened my perspective about prison, which I will talk about at the end of the blog. In addition to that, CBT was one of the things that I kept hearing from seniors, and I finally got to understand how it works; I have yet to grasp it 100% but hey, it's a good start ain't it?

GOAL SETTING

Goal setting was an interesting one as well, for I had to guide the
inmates in setting realistic goals while they are in prison and once they are released from prison. This time I was assigned to three inmates, in which I had to try my best to aid them in understanding and answering the questions. In the process of translating and simplifying the questions directed to them, it snaps me back into reality on their responsibilities as someone's daughter and as someone's mother. All of them were really focused in this segment, proving how much they hope for a better lifestyle out of prison, and a better future for their families.

Relating to What I've Learnt

To document things better, here is my unprofessional attempt at relating the theories I've learned. Please note that this is a generalized piece of writing because we are not allowed to disclose too much information about the inmates. This is not an academic text, just a student trying to recall what she has learnt, please do not take the text as an academic reference. Yup here it goes:

i. Anxiety Defense Mechanisms

Throughout the exchange of conversations with the inmates and the other volunteers, I have noticed that the convicts tend to rationalize their negative behavior. i.e., they would resort to using drugs as they have the false belief system that using drugs makes them more energetic during work. We could say that they are reinterpreting this behavior to seem more rational and acceptable to themselves. They feel anxious when they seem to not "perform" well in daily tasks such as cooking, working, and taking care of their children. Thus, they rationalize the act of using drugs to help them stay "energetic", but in reality, the drugs just make them go restless for several days without sleep.

Some convicts incorporate the denial mechanism to reject the objective facts and experiences which they already understood previously. As such, they might insist they did not have drug abuse issues, despite the facts that drug usage interfered with their well-being and family life. Denial unconsciously protected their ego from distress by rejecting the truth that drug abuse negatively impacted their lives. This might be one of the reasons some inmates are reconvicted within a period of release.

All in all, we could say the convicts' ID overpowers their personality, while the superego is weak in regulating their behaviors, in which the ID seeks immediate gratification. The instinctual behavior of the convicts to consume drugs for pleasure or push drugs to earn quick money can be explained by the pleasure principle of Freud. The convicts attempt to satisfy their urge of pleasure and need of money with the wrong method, as they see the method as the fastest and most convenient. However, the inmates' Ego and Superego are stimulated well, which is most obviously seen during the goal-setting session. The session set a realistic idealized self for the inmates, to become more responsible to themselves and their own family.

ii. Hierarchy of Needs

Childhood is undoubtedly a key indicator of the convicts' behavior as adults. However, their personalities are also determined by genetic, environmental, and external factors. 

Some convicts experience deficits in physiological needs, such as food, and shelter for basic survival, leading them to resort to pushing drugs, or theft. There are also convicts who lack a sense of safety and protection in their life, meaning they feel insecure and unsafe in their living or working environments. Lack of satisfaction of social needs, such as being loved, being taken care of by friends and family may also occur to convicts. The dissatisfaction of these deficiency needs, as shown in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, causes them to feel less of an individual and creates crisis.

There are also convicts who have deficiency in growth needs, which cause them to lose sense of growth direction in life. They have low self- esteem and deny their own abilities in critical thinking and ability to thrive in life. As a result, they attribute their wrongdoings to the external environment, such as peer influence and pressure from the environment. Through the programme, some of the inmates gained the realization of their self-worth and intelligence to solve problems, thus gaining confidence within themselves.

iii. Inferiority complex

Inferiority feelings are common in human nature. However, I believe that there are convicts with intensified inferiorities, due to not attending to them effectively, giving rise to the formation of inferiority complex. For example, some inmates shared that they end up in prison because they are "tak pandai (not smart)" as others, when in truth they have IQ of the average population, and some even have outstanding intelligence compared to normal people. When they are confronted with obstacles, such as having stable income, they believe that they have personal incompetence which thwarts them, hence they develop an inferiority complex, and a false belief system that they cannot perform in intellectually demanding jobs, hence they result to jobs which seem to be "effortless" and quick.

iv. Social Needs

Affiliation and intimacy needs of convicts are not satisfied. Inmates deprive themselves of social interaction, making them feel fear as they are socially isolated from the outside throughout their sentence. Thus, it is necessary for them to sharpen their skills with the vocational skills provided in prison, so that they feel socially accepted and appreciated upon their release. Alternatively, intimacy is a more impactful motive for the inmates as it is growth- oriented. Intimacy between the inmates and their family or friends which involve interpersonal caring, warmth, and love. The relatedness within the reciprocal relationship keeps them motivated to stay away from their previous negative behavior. 

v. Cognition

Mental processes are springs to action, indicating one's cognition decides its actions and behaviors. During the programme, the inmates were exposed to goal- setting, which includes establishing an ideal state of behavior and self they aspire to pursue. When they become aware of the incongruity or discrepancy that exists between their present state and ideal state, corrective motivation tends to occur. This discrepancy has motivational properties as it provides energy and direction to them on what they want to achieve in life outside of prison. During goal setting, the perceived difficulty and specificity of their goals need to be addressed by the inmates themselves in a serious manner to ensure their goal acceptance.

Thoughts

Cliche as it sounds, but it was an eye-opening experience. Being a facilitator of this programme made me understand prison inmates (drug convicts/ pushers) better, i.e. how childhood trauma, abusive relationships, lack of self-esteem, accumulation of negative events in life led them to prison. It is typical to think that inmates have it hard behind the bars; indeed they do not have freedom to roam around, to hug or even see their families when they want to. However, the outside world seems much tougher for them, for they would face possibilities of not being accepted by society, failing to find a roof over their heads, struggling to pay for bills and put food on the table--- in which all of these circumstances *might risk them of returning back to being convicted of crimes.

Super blessed to have spent these 5 long days in prison for this programme. We had the chance to get exposure to so many practical matters, which are out of our year 1 syllabus. I was touched deeply by the humanity inside prison, from them expressing their appreciation to us for spending time with them, to them saying "Terima kasih adik-adik" energetically after each slot ws over.

Thankful for the opportunity from Yayasan Nur Inspirasi, the wardens, psychology officer, psychotherapist, ustazahs, and of course my volunteer friends who kept me company. Hope to see the inmates again, out of prison, serving the community as better people.

References:

A2_AQB_crim_psychodynamicTheories_docx (psychlotron.org.uk)

Cognitive Appraisal Theory – Psychology of Human Emotion: An Open Access Textbook (unizin.org)

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: Examples and explanation | CNN

Schultz, D. P., & Schultz, S.E. (2017). Theories of personality. Cengage Learning.

The relation between emotional intelligence and criminal behavior: A study among convicted criminals - PMC (nih.gov)