UNDERSTANDING LIFE SATISFACTION AMONG COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS INMATES: THE IMPACT OF PRISON CLIMATE AND THE MEDIATING ROLE OF SOCIAL SUPPORT

Abstract

Malaysia’s increasing emphasis on community-based correctional strategies reflects a national commitment to lowering recidivism rates. This approach forms a key component of ongoing prison reform efforts, with the aim that by 2030, approximately two-thirds of the incarcerated population will participate in community correctional programs. Previous research has linked social support to prison climate and life satisfaction, making it essential for implementation. Thus, this study seeks to examine whether social support affects the prison climate and life satisfaction. Cross-sectional surveys were used in this quantitative study. The study sampled 380 incarcerated individuals, selected through a structured sampling framework employing simple random sampling techniques. Data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS AMOS version 25, with Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) applied to test the proposed theoretical model and associated research hypotheses. The results demonstrate that social support fully mediates the association between the prison climate and life satisfaction. Based on the study findings, it is recommended that the Malaysian Prisons Department formulate targeted policies and strategic initiatives aimed at improving the prison climate and strengthening social support systems, thereby enhancing inmates’ overall life satisfaction. The described situation is consistent with the Malaysian government's goal of Malaysia Madani, which seeks to tackle the difficulties faced by the population and promote national progress.