SINGAPORE – Inmates in prison will be assigned the same case officer – whenever possible – from the beginning of their sentence until they are fully integrated back into the community after their release, under new efforts undertaken by the Singapore Prison Service (SPS).

This is one of the strategies that prisons will be adopting to expand its community-based programmes, said Minister for Law and Home Affairs K. Shanmugam on Friday (Jan 11).

Speaking before a tour of the new Government-run Selarang Halfway House, Mr Shanmugam said that having the same officer walk the journey with the inmate from the start to the end of his journey of rehabilitation would “strengthen throughcare” and help with reintegration of the ex-offenders.

“We want better end-to-end oversight of each inmate’s rehabilitation journey,’ he said.

Other strategies that the prisons is looking into include the use of psychology-based correctional programmes and the use of data to assess the risks and needs of each offender. This will also include having counselling sessions through video-conferencing.

It is also looking into addressing the negative impact that crime and jail-time have on inmates’ relationships with their family by teaching them skills to communicate with their loved ones, said Mr Shanmugam at the halfway house located at Upper Changi Road North.

The Selarang Halfway House, which started operating at the new site last November, is part of the larger Selarang Park Complex that will eventually include a Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC), a Work Release Centre, and a Community Supervision Centre.

The integrated development is set to be ready in 2020.

The halfway house will boost efforts to help former inmates rehabilitate and reintegrate in society, in an conducive and secure environment, said Mr Shanmugam.

The facility currently houses 138 former offenders but can accommodate over 570 residents, making it the biggest halfway house in Singapore.

It is the only halfway house that caters to those who are undergoing the Mandatory Aftercare Scheme – a regime for ex-inmates who might have a higher risk of re-offending.

It is also the only government-run halfway house in Singapore and the only one that caters to both men and women.

It will add to the eight private halfway houses working with the SPS which can house about 450 residents in total. Only one of the eight caters to women.

Mr Elijah Teo, deputy executive director of the Selarang Halfway House, said many challenges and uncertainties await ex-offenders upon their release.

“By providing a conducive and rehabilitative environment, the Selarang Halfway House, in close partnership with the SPS, works with residents to address their reintegration needs and facilitate their journey to stay crime-free,” he added.

“Through these efforts, we hope to help residents break away from their cycle of re-offending.”

Mr Shanmugam also touched on the proposed changes to Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA), which will be tabled for the second time in Parliament later this month.

The changes seek to strengthen the rehabilitation process for drug abusers and help them break the cycle of addiction.

If passed, repeat drug abusers – who do not commit other kinds of crimes- will be directed to the DRCs for intensive rehabilitation, instead of long-term imprisonment.

“We have studied the evidence, and our view is that we can do more on rehabilitation,” said Mr Shanmugam.

Currently, abusers arrested for the third time or more for drug consumption are given long-term imprisonment sentences, but the proposed changes could mean shorter sentences and earlier integration into society.

This calibrated approach will target the attitudes behind drug addiction, which is a complex situation, added Mr Shanmugam.

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