COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN OFFENDERS’ REHABILITATION:
THE SINGAPORE PRISON SERVICE’S EXPERIENCEPART I:An Overview of the Singapore Prisons System

Mission & Operations Philosophy

In Singapore, tough laws and strict regimes in prisons have served us well in deterring
potential criminals from offending, and keeping criminals out of circulation. While incarcerationand punishment for offenders remains a priority, it is also imperative that they do not recidivate.
The Prison Service Mission was first promulgated in July 1988 1 to encapsulate the essence of ourbeliefs. The mission, which was subsequently re-crafted in 1999, states:“As a key partner in criminal justice,
we protect society through the safe custody and rehabilitation of offenders,
cooperating in prevention and aftercare.”2.

Together with the Prison Service Mission, a common Operations Philosophy wasestablished as well. The 3 elements of security, humanity and rehabilitation were emphasised as
key concepts to guide every officer’s actions. The Operations Philosophy provides the guidelines
reflecting our management and motivation, and enables our prison officers to effectively carry out
their institutional objectives.

1

The mission in 1988 states: “To strive for excellence and professionalism in support of the Singapore Criminal
Justice System in the safe custody, humane treatment and successful rehabilitation of offenders in preparing them for
return to society as law-abiding citizens”.

1Key Inmate Demographics3.

As at 30 Nov 2010, there were about 12,515 incarcerated persons in prisons, of which

about 9.5% or 1,185 were female inmates. A majority of about 29.3% or 3,672 of the inmate
population are between 31 and 40 years of age. About 51.1% of all inmates were incarcerated for
drug-related offences.

4.

Based on the release cohort of 2007, Singapore’s recidivism rate 2 stands at approximately

26.5%, a slight increase from the 25.1% of the 2006 cohort.

Organisation Structure

5.

The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) administers 4 maximum, 5 medium and 4 low-

medium security institutions. They make up SPS’ line units, and are grouped under 3 clusters,
namely Cluster A and B (housed within the main Changi Prison Complex) and Cluster C(comprising of decentralised institutions, i.e. Changi Women’s Prison, Kaki Bukit Centre,
Admiralty West Prison and the Selarang Park Community Supervision Centre) to synergise
services and enhance operational efficiency.

6.

At staff level, SPS has 6 main divisions, viz. Operations, Staff Development, Corporate

Services, Rehabilitation & Reintegration, Strategic Planning & Research, and Intelligence
Divisions, comprising 29 units together with 3 standalone units, i.e. Public Affairs, Provost andPrison Staff Inspectorate.
2

Recidivism Rate is defined as the percentage of local inmates detained, convicted and imprisoned again for a newoffence within two years from their release.

2The Business Framework

7.

The SPS Business Framework is underpinned by the 4 purposes of imprisonment, i.e.

Punishment, Incapacitation, Deterrence and Reform. These serve to guide SPS in carrying out its
3 core businesses of Executing Justice, Reducing Re-offending and Preventing Offending.

a.

Executing Justice: This is the fundamental purpose of our prisons system, i.e. toexecute sentences and corporal punishment meted out by Singapore’s Courts.
Under the arm of “executing justice”, SPS also provides effective and efficientremand services to fellow law enforcement agencies, for e.g. the immigration
authorities and police force.

b.

Reducing Re-offending: Our second business area is that of “Reducing ReOffending”. Our prison system is focused on ensuring the inmate is adequately
rehabilitated so that he does not offend again, and adequately resourced to help
reintegrate him back to the community.

c.

Preventing Offending: SPS aims to “prevent offending” by moving further
upstream of the socio eco-system and stemming the flow of potential and at-risk
persons from entering the cycle of crime. By leveraging on the considerable
criminal knowledge we have within our prisons, SPS helps the police and other law
enforcement agencies fight and prevent crime.

3The Rehabilitation Framework

8.

The goal of rehabilitation is the successful reintegration of the offender back to thecommunity as a contributing member of society. The establishment and maintenance of positive
community and family relationships will assist offenders in their reintegration as law-abiding
citizens. Strong families can provide security and meaning to life. Similarly, support andacceptance from the community is just as important in helping an ex-offender as he journeys
through this path of recovery.

9.

What ultimately determines successful rehabilitation is the offender’s own desire tochange for the better. Not every criminal or drug abuser may be willing to reform but the rightkind of rehabilitative strategy can motivate offenders to rebuild their lives. In year 2000, theSingapore Prison Service’s Rehabilitation Framework was developed to guide us in our offender’sreformation efforts.

10.

Under the new rehabilitation framework for penal offenders, inmates undergo thefollowing phases:a.

Admission: Inmates are objectively assessed and classified into 4 broad classes:
Class A, B, C or D. The classification process enables SPS to channel its resources
to those with the best chances of benefiting from rehabilitation and to manage theothers in an effective manner. A Personal Route Map (PRM) for each penal
offender is drawn up, based on the assessment of his risk and needs that isdetermined during admission;4

b.

Deterrence: From admission, the inmate moves through to the deterrence phasewhich includes periods of self-reflection and drill. Progressive assessments are
conducted by the inmate’s personal supervisors during this period.

c.

Treatment: In the treatment phase, inmates are employed in either prison industries
or domestic work, depending on their respective PRMs. For instance, Class ‘B’inmates are given compulsory education to raise their basic literacy level andvocational training in skilled prison industries to address their educational andemployment needs. SPS also administers a suite of Specialised Treatment
Programmes (STPs), developed and delivered by prison counsellors andpsychologists, which target criminogenic risks, such as substance abuse, violent
behaviour, sexual offending and criminal thinking. Delivered either individually orin group sessions, these programmes aim to increase offenders’ propensity andmotivation to change, help them understand the roots of their offending behaviours
and to equip them with the necessary skills to avoid a relapse.

d.

Aftercare: For those inmates who need assistance upon their release, the Singapore
Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises’ (SCORE) Employment Assistance Unit
(EAU) assist them in securing employment for them. Aftercare case management
and other welfare assistance are also available through the Singapore Aftercare
Association (SACA), Community Development Councils (CDCs) and othervoluntary welfare organisations (VWOs).

5

PART II:
Community Involvement in Offenders’ Rehabilitation
11.

A multi-faceted approach is adopted to achieve our core business of “Reducing Re-

offending” and recidivism in Singapore. This involves not just SPS and the offenders themselves,
but also other Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs), governmental agencies, the community
at large, as well as families of the inmates. Active community involvement is present for both incare as well as the aftercare phase of an inmate’s journey through incarceration.

Community Involvement during In-Care

12.

Currently, community partners are involved extensively in the rehabilitation programmesof SPS in the following specific areas:a.

Work: With rehabilitation as an important objective, it is imperative that inmates
are taught marketable skills that will secure them steady employment when they
return to society. Hence, SCORE was established as a Statutory Board in Nov 1975,
and it is entrusted with establishing and managing prison industries, as well as
providing vocational training in prisons. It also provides rehabilitative and aftercare
services to inmates before and after their discharge from custody. For instance,
SCORE’s EAU looks after the employment needs of inmates and ex-inmates while
they are on the Work Release Scheme (WRS) and immediately after their discharge.
The EAU has a databank of suitable jobs by actively collaborating with more than

6

b.

Education: Another priority is the provision of education (academic or vocational)
for the purpose of leveling up the inmates’ educational status and skills. Academic
education is provided through teachers seconded from the Ministry of Education,
while SCORE provides vocational and skills training.

c.

Religion: Religion is a source of moral support and guidance to many in prison.
Faith-based programmes can be powerful tools in the rehabilitation process as it
gives inmates a strong sense of purpose, direction and meaning in life. Inmates are
therefore encouraged to develop their spiritual well-being by turning to theirrespective faiths. Those who wish to embrace any of the main religions, such as
Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism or Christianity, are encouraged to do so. Volunteers
from respective faiths conduct religious services and counseling sessions for them.

d.

Family-Focused Services & Programmes: The impact of incarceration on families
and children of inmates, the unintended victims of crime, is often significant andnegative. Inmates’ families are often is disarray when their family member isimprisoned. Hence, seeing families through this difficult phase can help foster
stronger family bonds and networks upon the inmates’ release. Since 2006, Family
Resource Centres (FRCs) have been set up in SPS to provide social assistance andsupport to inmates’ families to help them cope during inmates’ incarceration (fore.g. in the areas of financial difficulties, accommodation issues and emotional7

e.

Halfway-House Scheme: The Prisons Halfway House (HWH) Scheme, started in
Apr 1995, allows amenable offenders of drug rehabilitation centres and prisons
without strong family support to spend the last stage of detention at the halfway
houses. Currently, there are 10 halfway houses participating in the HWH Schemeand their programme comprises counseling, work therapy and moral/religious
education. More recently in October this year, a new HWH Service Model wasdeveloped to enable HWHs to operate a more consistent and dedicated programme
to better meet offenders’ reintegration needs.

13.

SPS also works closely with the Industrial and Services Cooperative Society Limited(ISCOS), a multi-purpose cooperative that seeks to enhance the employment and entrepreneurial
opportunities of discharged inmates. Established in 1989, ISCOS offers ex-offenders job
opportunities to help them regain their self-worth and esteem with meaningful employment. Thisobjective is met through providing inmates with on-the-job training and job exposure throughenterprises or cooperation with other private companies on a joint venture or consultancy basis.

14.

Engagement of inmates by ISCOS starts right from the in-care phase, where ISCOS

representatives brief all inmates on the various resources and schemes of work available. Through8

Community Volunteers – A Critical Partnership15.

The work of rehabilitation cannot be done by SPS alone. It requires partnering thecommunity to further its mission. Our volunteers have been at the forefront in meeting thepotential reintegration needs of our inmates. SPS’ volunteer base has grown from 124 in 1999 tomore than 1,200 volunteers over the last 10 years.

Volunteer Training Programmes

16.

To level up our volunteers’ capabilities to support SPS’ core business of rehabilitating

offenders, a structured pilot training package for volunteers was conducted from Jan to Mar 2010.
As the trial proved to be successful with positive feedback from the participants, SPS then decided
to launch the volunteer training programme on a full-scale with an expanded scope of training.
The volunteer training programmes are targeted at all prison volunteers. Its twin objectives are:a.

To orientate and equip the volunteers with the necessary knowledge and skills toengage the prisoners purposefully, while appreciating the rules and regulations of
SPS; and9b.

To upgrade and develop the volunteers professionally through certified courses
issued by recognised and accredited training institutes.

17.

Such training enables SPS to work closely with its volunteers who are aligned and trained

to deliver effective offenders’ rehabilitation programmes.

Engaging Strategic Community Partners in the Aftercare Sector

18.

For many, the transition back to society remains a struggle. Maintaining the motivation not

to re-offend requires strong community support, understanding, as well as encouragement fromtheir families. SPS has pursued several initiatives to pave the way for a more successful offenders’reintegration. These are elaborated in the following sections.

CARE Network

19.

Formed in May 2000, CARE (Community Action for the Rehabilitation of Ex-Offenders)

Network brings together key strategic partners 3 , both in government and in the community, who
are responsible for offenders’ reintegration in Singapore. The Network engages the community inrehabilitation, co-ordinates member agencies’ activities and develops innovative rehabilitation
initiatives for reforming offenders with the following objectives:

3

Members of the CARE Network include the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of Community
Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), the Singapore Aftercare Association (SACA), Singapore Anti-Narcotics
Association (SANA), the National Council for Social Services (NCSS), SCORE and ISCOS.

10

a.

To improve the quality of rehabilitative services through knowledge-sharing;b.

To build awareness and understanding of the rehabilitative process amongst thegeneral public;c.

To increase efficiency by reducing duplication of work and services between member
agencies;d.

To create a seamless transfer for offenders from in-care to aftercare; ande.

To mobilise and facilitate the community to take action toward rendering appropriate
support services to help ex-offenders and their families reintegrate into the society.

Case Management Framework

20.

One of the first initiatives of the CARE Network was the Case Management Framework(CMF) for reforming offenders in the aftercare phase. This service is delivered by full-time
Aftercare Case Managers (ACMs) from the Singapore Aftercare Association 4 (SACA) and theSingapore Anti-Narcotics Association 5 (SANA), who aim to facilitate the reintegration of exoffenders and ex-drug addicts into families and the society. Under the CMF, the ACM and client
identify the aftercare needs of the client in reintegrating well. An Individualised Service Plan
(ISP) is then drawn up which charts out the resources required in meeting those needs. The ACM
will source for resources from other agencies for services that they do not provide and also
ensures any follow-up required is attended to.
4

The Singapore After-Care Association (SACA) is a voluntary welfare organisation acting as the key agency
providing welfare and rehabilitation services for discharged offenders and their families. SACA’s aim is to assist
clients and their families to cope with problems arising from the offending behaviour and the consequent
incarceration. This is done with the belief that such assistance would give clients the chance to reintegrate into society
successfully thereby reducing the chances of recidivism.
5
The Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association (SANA) is a voluntary welfare organisation and was first established in1972 to assist in the rehabilitation of drug addicts in Singapore. SANA runs various programmes in drug abuse
prevention and drug rehabilitation. SANA was also tasked by the National Council Against Drug Abuse (NACADA)
to be the coordinating agency for preventive action against drug abuse in high-risk youth.

11

21.

In Oct 2010, the CARE Network’s website 6 was also been set up to provide the publicwith access to information on the Network and its initiatives. Through this website, acomprehensive directory of community partners involved in the work of offenders’ rehabilitation
is listed to facilitate ease of communication and knowledge sharing within the aftercare industry.

The Yellow Ribbon Project: Advocating Community Acceptance& Enhancing Community Involvement

22.

Ex-offenders often live with the stigma of having served time behind bars upon theirrelease from prison. This can often be more difficult than the prison sentence itself. Many exoffenders, once released, find themselves stepping into a second prison of suspicion by society atlarge because of their past misdeeds. In the absence of community intervention and support, there
is a higher chance of re-offending. Therefore, the importance of community involvement and theintegral role it plays in the reintegration journey of our ex-offenders who are motivated anddesirous to change cannot be over-emphasised.

23.

The CARE Network launched of the Yellow Ribbon Project (YRP) in 2004, which is anannual campaign aimed at changing society’s mindset towards ex-offenders by giving them asecond chance to succeed in life. The inspiration behind YRP was taken from a 1970s song
entitled, “Tie a yellow ribbon round the Ole Oak Tree.” The lyrics of this song aptly describe an
ex-offender’s desire for acceptance and forgiveness from his loved ones and await the community
to set him free:
6With a new website in place, not only can agencies exchange aftercare best practices, resources as well as current
and relevant news, the public can also be more informed of CARE Network’s activities and events. In this way,
CARE Network can better engage the community in effecting positive changes in the lives of ex-offenders and theirfamilies. Source: www.carenetwork.org.sg.

12

“I’m really still in prison and my love she holds the key,a simple yellow ribbon’s what I need,to set me free…”

24.

The key drivers of the YRP campaign are SPS and SCORE, supported by the CARE

Network agencies.

Objectives of the YRP

25.

The objectives of YRP are categorised into the 3 ‘A’s, which are:a.

To create ‘Awareness’ of giving second chances to ex-offenders.

b.

To generate ‘Acceptance’ of ex-offenders and their families into the community.

c.

To inspire ‘Community Action’ to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of
ex-offenders.

Thematic Development

26.

Each year, a different theme will be developed for the YRP campaign to intensify the levelof community engagement, while building upon the successes of campaigns from the preceding
year. While the first few YRP campaigns focused on generating awareness, subsequent campaigns
aimed to deepen the YR message by actively engaging the community through reformed exoffenders (see Annex A).

Publicity & Media Engagement
13

27.

Brand positioning has also been instrumental to the effectiveness of the YRP campaign.

The iconic yellow ribbon, together with its associated meaning, is easily identifiable andrecognizable by Singaporeans from all walks of life. The success of the brand also lies with theconsistency and discipline of the Yellow Ribbon message year after year.

28.

YRP also leverages extensively on the media as a strategic tool for our campaign

messaging. The public campaign is launched through a series of televised and printed
advertisements, news and radio broadcasts, online mediums such as the Internet and websites.
New social media, such as YouTube, Facebook, mobile phone messages and local internet forums,
were also tapped to effectively publicise our events. In addition, YRP also enjoys wide media
coverage from the Singapore media. It provides the media with a fertile spread of interesting story
angles, such as highlighting anecdotal stories with a human touch, the arduous journey ofrehabilitation undertaken by ex-offenders, as well as the impact it has on their loved ones.

Community Engagement Activities

29.

In order to ensure recall and familiarity among the general public, community partners andstakeholders, media campaigns and key community engagement activities for YR are always
concentrated in the month of September, which is designated as the official Yellow Ribbon montheach year.

30.

A sample of the main YRP events held thus far are as follows:

14

a.

Yellow Ribbon Concert (2004, 2006 & 2008);b.

Yellow Ribbon Walk (2005 & 2007);c.

Yellow Ribbon Conference (2004 to 2008);

d.

Movie Screening “One More Chance” by local celebrities (2005);e.

Yellow Ribbon Fairs (2004 to 2007);f.

Yellow Ribbon Creative Festival (2004 to 2010);g.

Yellow Ribbon Community Art Exhibition (2007, 2008, 2009 & 2010);h.

Yellow Ribbon Job Fairs; andi.

Yellow Ribbon Prison Run (2009 & 2010).

Active Involvement of Inmates & Ex-offenders

31.

Inmates and ex-offenders form an integral part of our campaign initiatives. Our

fundamental belief is that inmates and ex-offenders should not be just receiving, but they should
also be giving back as much as they can to others. Therefore, opportunities are given as much as
possible to involve inmates and ex-offenders in our outreach activities. Since the commencementof YRP, inmates have handmade up to 2,000,000 pieces of Yellow Ribbons for distribution. They
have also participated in community service projects 7 where the proceeds were donated tocharitable causes to help the less fortunate in society (see Annex B). Ex-offenders have also
pitched in by providing transportation and logistics assistance during events, distributing Yellow
Ribbons and even putting up performances to showcase their talents and reformed ways.

7

In 2006, inmates from SCORE bakery baked 7,000 croissants and raised S$11,000 to help needy children of ST
Pocket Money Fund. In 2007, inmates baked cookies and sold them at the Yellow Ribbon Fair and raised $12,997 for
the Handicap Welfare Association. In 2008, Inmates baked mooncakes and raised $5,000 for Yellow Ribbon Fund. In
2009 and 2010, inmates and ex-offenders cooked and served 500 less privileged in the Tribute of Love Luncheon coorganised with Lions Clubs of Singapore.

15

Celebrity Engagement & Rehabilitation Ambassadors

32.

Celebrities and Rehabilitation Ambassadors form an important part of the engagement

strategy. With their wide popularity and influence, they are well positioned to help spread the
YRP message, serve as crowd-pullers, and more importantly, serve as ambassadors in support of
the YR campaign. Local and regional artistes had been featured consistently in many of our YRP
events over the past few years.

Community Partnerships

33.

As the YRP was centers on community acceptance, a majority of our YR campaigns were

initiated with the intention of running a campaign for the community, by the community. Withstrong branding of the YRP, many community and corporate organisations have taken theinitiative to collaborate with SPS (see Annex C). Many community and grassroots leaders,politicians, corporate partners and celebrities had made time and effort to grace such events, often
bringing with them a passion to spread the message of community acceptance for offenders’rehabilitation. Community involvement and partnerships also came in the form of donations andsponsorships, or showing cause for support by donning the Yellow Ribbons, fund-raising or
simply by participating in the YRP events.

34.

SPS has gained some pertinent lessons from its engagement strategy with community

partners. These include:

16

a.

Central Body for Coordination:

A central coordinating body for community

involvement in the aftercare sector is most effective. In SPS’ case, it has the CARE
Network initiative to leverage on, where it can then take the lead to forge strategic
community partnerships for the delivery of both in-care and aftercare programmes
and services.

b.

Preparing the Community to Receive Ex-offenders: As governmental agencies
seek to collaborate under the umbrella of CARE Network, the community at large
can be brought on board through national campaigns such as the YRP, wherestrong community messages are reinforced and events targeting at the various strataof the society are conducted;

c.

Selecting a Core Team for Effective Planning & Implementation:

In thepreliminary planning phase, it is essential to have a committed team of corepersonnel who will work with the identified stakeholders on the ‘Branding’,‘Engagement’ and ‘Execution’ of community projects. In Singapore’s context, the
CARE Network Secretariat holds this responsibility; andd.

Maximising the Strengths of Volunteers: The strength and capabilities ofcommunity volunteers cannot be underestimated. Besides tapping into this valuablecommunity resource, there is a conscious need to build on the capabilities ofvolunteers from the VWOs and religious organisations for a more effective
outreach of rehabilitation programs within prison.

17

The Impact

35.

Into its 7th year of campaigning, the YRP has achieved the following:a.

Registration of Criminals (Amendment) Act was amended in May 2005 to help exoffenders reintegrate back into society more easily by making it possible for one’s
criminal records to be wiped slate clean if he is able to stay “crime-free” for no lessthan 5 consecutive years;b.

In 2006, the Land Transport Authority reviewed the guidelines for issuance andrenewal of vocational licenses for drivers of public service vehicles to make it more
flexible for ex-offenders to be issued with the license;c.

Public perception survey conducted in 2007 found that 94% of Singaporeans were
aware of the YRP core message;d.

For its contributions to the YRP, SPS was given an Honourable Mention in 2007 foroutstanding achievement in public relations campaigns which best exemplify theideals and goals of the United Nations;e.

YRP also received the Public Relations in the Service of Mankind (PRISM)
Excellence Award under the Public Service Campaigns category in 2008;

18

f.

In 2009, the Yellow Ribbon Tattoo Removal Programme received the Ministry ofHome Affair’s Operational Excellence Award;

36.

g.

A total of 1.985 million Yellow Ribbons were distributed;h.

313,000 Singaporeans participated in the YR events;i.

807 new employers registered with SCORE’s Job Bank;j.

908 volunteers signed up to volunteer for YRP; andk.

S$7.8 mil raised for the Yellow Ribbon Fund (YRF).

Another key milestone for Care Network was the establishment of the Yellow Ribbon

Fund (YRF).

The YRF is the first national charitable fund devoted entirely towards thedevelopment and implementation of rehabilitation and reintegration programmes and services for
ex-offenders and their families. Registered under NCSS, YRF was granted Institute of Public
Character (IPC) status since 1 August 2004.

The Success Factors

37.

Over the years, the YRP had been successful in its outreach and had built a high level ofawareness and goodwill. This can be attributed to the following key factors:

19

a.

Passionate Core Team: Led by SPS and SCORE, the core team planned,
conceptualised and executed the YR projects to ensure consistency in messaging. In
addition, as key stakeholders of ex-offenders reintegration issues, the core teamdrove each YR project to a higher level as inherent ground knowledge andexperiences were translated into workable community engagement campaigns.

b.

Branding: A consistent branding strategy helped to send out a clear message to thecommunity where even a layman could easily relate the YRP back to the cause ofhelping ex-offenders and their families reintegrate into society.

c.

Effective Use of Levers: The YRPs identified key governmental bodies, community
leaders and celebrities as effective levers whose direct support and engagement lent
weight to the project as a cause worthy of support.

d.

Touching the Heart of the Community: Through the sharing of ex-offenders’testimonies (both successes as well as failures) and stories on the plight families
faced, especially on the impact of incarceration on children, the community canbetter appreciate the reality of incarceration. This in turn goes a long way towards
helping them to understand reintegration issues faced by our inmates.

20

PART III:
Upcoming Initiatives
38.

To enhance coordination of rehabilitation efforts, an Inter-Ministry Committee was set upby the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in April 2009 to study and propose recommendations toaddress the problem of re-offending in Singapore. A two-pronged approach of moving further
upstream to prevent inter-generational offending and downstream by preventing offenders’ reoffending were the key thrusts of this Committee.

39.

One of the recommendations made include the need to strengthen community-based

networks that would serve to provide the protective factors for inmates, as well as to strengthen
SPS’ volunteer engagement system by building both capacity and capability in the community.

40.

Another key focus is to leverage on the grassroots and community in taking ownership foroffenders’ rehabilitation. This can be seen from the increasingly active participation and initiatives
mooted by community groups to reach out to inmates and their families residing within theirjurisdictions.

41.

While currently still a work-in-progress, it is expected that when these recommendations

are fully implemented, it will further strengthen the rehabilitation and aftercare efforts in
Singapore.

21

Conclusion

42.

SPS should never function in a silo. It needs to tap on the expertise of its strategic partners

and the community at large. The success of its various initiatives is attributed to a very supportive
pool of community partners, who are passionate in working toward a common cause of successful
reintegration of ex-offenders.

43.

The work on rehabilitation is also an ongoing effort. What it takes to make it work is

passion and effort, and developing one initiative at a time. This is best summed up in the words ofthe former U.S. President, John.F Kennedy, who once said:“All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days.
Nor will it be finished in the first thousand days,
Nor in the life of this administration,
Nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet.
But let us begin...

44.

And this is something SPS has begun.

___________

Prepared by: Singapore Prison Service, 201122

ANNEX A
THEMES FOR YELLOW RIBBON PROJECT CAMPAIGN (2004 - 2010)
Campaign
Year

2004

ThemesCreating
Awareness

Selling the
Message –Help Unlock
the Second
PrisonIntent

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Engaging the Engaging theCommunity Ex-Offenders

Giving Back

Beyond Just
Words

Giving Back

This is My
Yellow
Ribbon.
This is My
Journey.

Give them a Widening thereach,
Seconddeepening
Lease of Lifethe message

Extendingour reach,inspiringaction ininmates andex-offenders

Going
beyondawareness toaction by
activelyengaging thecommunity

Inmates andex-offenders
playing arole to giveback tosociety

Engaging theCommunity
for action to
help exoffenders
reintegrate

23

ANNEX B
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE ON YELLOW RIBBON PROJECT

24

ANNEX C
KEY COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS OF YELLOW RIBBON PROJECTYear

Key Community Collaborations

Outcome2006

Joint collaboration with North East Community Development Council
to hold Yellow Ribbon Job Fair in prisons.

Helped inmates to secure employment
before their release. Led to thedevelopment of placement exercises
taking place in prisons since then.

2007

Joint collaboration with Raffles Hotel to hold first Yellow Ribbon
Cooking Competition in prisons.

Discover inmate’s talents. Led to thedevelopment of the Yellow Ribbon
Culinary Programme where inmates
get to undergo a certified culinary
course.

2008

Joint collaboration with AVIVA to raise awareness and funds for
YRF through AVIVA Ironman Triathlon Competition.

Over $20,000 was raised for the
Yellow Ribbon Fund.

2009

Yellow Ribbon Tattoo Removal Programme for inmates who want toremove their gang related tattoos. The 2 year programme that cost S$1
million programme is fully sponsored by a community partner.

Over 100 inmates benefited from theprogramme. Continuation of the
programme in discussion.

2010

YR NECDC Rekindle Programme with North East Community
Development Council for Reformative Training Centre inmates. The
programme aims to reconcile family and prepare them before therelease of the inmates.

Over 30 inmates and 60 family
members
benefitedfromtheprogramme. The programme willcontinue for another 2 years.

25