Empowering Adult Inmates with Communication Needs in an East Malaysia Prison

Junaidah Januin; Veronica Petrus Atin; Wan Hurani Osman; Mohd Azri Ibrahim; Halina Sendera Mohd Yakin; Mohd Aqmal Hafidz; Sabariah Abd Rahim; Nor Dawirah Abd Rahman

doi:10.47405/mjssh.v8i3.2173

Junaidah Januin Center for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
Veronica Petrus Atin Center for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
Wan Hurani Osman Center for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
Mohd Azri Ibrahim Center for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
Halina Sendera Mohd Yakin Center for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
Mohd Aqmal Hafidz Center for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
Sabariah Abd Rahim Center for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8321-3575
Nor Dawirah Abd Rahman Center for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.47405/mjssh.v8i3.2173

Keywords: Prison education, Communication needs, Employability, Social integration

Abstract

Communication skills are essential in our daily life because we communicate to pass information from one person to another. However, to have effective communication in a correctional environment, like prisons, is not easy. There are many distractions and barriers to communicate effectively in prisons. Although prison education should be seen as a way to educate inmates to successfully integrate in society upon their release, inmates face difficulties in getting enough reading materials, content and learning tools to enhance their communication skills. This may negatively affect their integration in society and employability after serving their sentences. Therefore, this study aimed to elicit the communication needs of the adult inmates in one of the local prisons in East Malaysia. We employed a textography research approach, where we combined textual analysis and an ethnographic method (interview), to investigate contexts, texts and practices of the prison studied. The findings showed that the inmates need to learn verbal and non-verbal communication, new technologies for communication and simple English conversations. This study is pertinent in providing insights for the development of suitable teaching and learning modules for prison learning institutions.

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Author Biographies

Junaidah Januin, Center for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Junaidah Januin is a Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

Veronica Petrus Atin, Center for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Veronica Petrus Atin is a Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

Wan Hurani Osman, Center for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Wan Hurani Osman is an English Language lecturer in the Centre for Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

Mohd Azri Ibrahim, Center for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Mohd Azri is an Associate Professor in the Centre for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

Halina Sendera Mohd Yakin, Center for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Halina Sendera Mohd Yakin is an Associate Professor at the Centre for Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

Mohd Aqmal Hafidz, Center for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Aqmal Hafidz is an English Language Teacher at the Centre for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning in Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

Sabariah Abd Rahim, Center for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

I am a lecturer in the English Unit of Pusat Penataran Ilmu dan Bahasa, UMS. I have a degree in English Language (B.A. Hons, UPM), a Master's in English as a Second Language (MESL, UM) and a PhD in English Language Skills (USM). Before joining UMS, I was an editor in one of the multilevel marketing companies in Kedah (GANO EXCEL), where I was responsible for the writing up and editing of articles to be published in the company’s monthly bulletin. Then I joined PPIB, UMS in 2004 and I have been teaching English Language skills to undergraduates for more than 15 years in PPIB, UMS. My area of expertise includes English as a Second Language, Second Language Learning and Second Language Writing.

Nor Dawirah Abd Rahman, Center for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Nor Dawirah Abd Rahman is an English Language Teacher at the Centre for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning in Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

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