About 98 per cent of the more than 10,000 prisoners who had been released on parolesincethe parole system was introduced in 2008, managed to maintain a clean record and to stay out of prison.

Malaysian Prisons Department, Parole and Community Services Division deputy director, S.KausalyaDevi said the figure showed the success of the system as well as the surrounding community's support of the system.

"The parole system implemented by the Malaysian Prisons Department had benefited prisoners and had helped them adapt well in society," she told reporters after the "Memperkasa Masyarakat Sejahtera" outreachprogrammeorganisedby the Johor Parole and Community Services office here Monday.

Theprogrammeorganisedin collaboration with the Johor State Correctional Association was officiated by Johor Tourism, Trade and Consumer Affairs committee chairman, Datuk Tee Siew Kiong.

According to Kausalya, most of the prisoners under parole became more self-reliant and managed to lead a better life when their parole period ended.

She said a majority of them also received job offers in various industries including hospitality and were also involved in a wide range of small businesses.

As such, she said, the society must play a role in helping prisoners by removing the negative stigma towards the group ormarginalisingthem, to stop them slipping back into crime.

Kausalyaadded that for the time being, there were no plans to increase the number of halfway houses, set up by the Prisons Department, to accommodate newly released ex-convicts who had served their time in prison.

"Currently there are 14 halfway houses nationwide, one in every state, housing some 75 former inmates," she said.