DIRECTIONS OF JUVENILE JUSTICE REFORMS IN
SINGAPORE
Chomil Kamal *I. INTRODUCTION
A. Children and Young Persons Act
Chapter 38
The Children and Young Persons Act(CYPA) Chapter 38 is the key legislation
governing the administration of juvenile
justice in Singapore. Though enacted as
early as 23 September 1946, the spirit,
intents and purposes of the CYPA remain
progressive and very much relevant inour present Singapore society. Welfare of
the juvenile is a guiding principle of thisAct. Juveniles in conflict with the law are
not e xcused of responsibility or
accountability for their misconduct. The
Act determines the jurisdiction of theJuvenile Court for persons aged 7 tounder 16 year olds and spells out clear
principles for care and protection orders,fit person orders, social w ork an dsupervised treatment, approved homeand young offender in custody. The CYPA
balances parental authority and State
intervention.
As a nation, Singapore’s response to
youth offending has been to pursue a finee q u i li b r iu m in th e m a n a g e m e n t o fjuvenile offenders such that the justiceand restorative models are not opposing
paradigms but that they actually
co m plim ent ea ch othe r a s mu tu ally
sup po rtive e lem ents o f the ju venile
ju stice system. The Govern men t’s
endorsement of the recommendations of
the Inter-Ministry Com mittee on* Deputy Director/Chief Probation Officer,
Ministry of Community Development and Sports,
Singapore

Dysfunctional Families, Juvenile
Delinq uency and Drug Ab use (199 5)
which was chaired by the Minister forCommunity Development, signaled an
intensified effort to put in place a series of
initiatives to combat juvenile delinquency
in a systematic and coordinated manner.
Among other things, it led to the setting
up o f a n I nter- M inistry a nd Age ncy
Committee in that same year. The InterMinistry Committee on Juvenile
Delinquency (IMJD) which has now been
expanded and re-named Inter-Ministry
Committee on Youth Crime (IMYC), wastasked to stimulate and coordinate efforts
to keep youths from crime and promote
their effective rehabilitation. The IMYC
takes a proactive stance towards dealing
with concerns over world-wide
phenomenon of rising juvenile
delinquency. Several studies on our youth
were do ne and what ensued werenumerous direct and beneficial
programmes for targeted groups of youth
at risk as well as youth in conflict withthe law. 1995 also marked the Singapore
Judiciary’s introduction of the restorative
justice model for disposition of juvenile
cases. No amendment was necessary as
in essence, the CYPA is firmly groundedon the philosophy of rehabilitation andreintegration o f children a nd young
persons.
Section 28 of the CYPA thus became avital consideration in the assessment of
every juvenile brought before the Court:“Every court in dealing with a childor young person who is b rought
before it, either as being in need of113

RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 59
care or protection, or as an offenderor otherwise, shall have regard to
the welfare of the child or young
person and shall in a proper casetake steps for removing him fromundesirable surroundings’ and for
securing that proper provision ismade for his education andtraining”.
B. Children and Young Persons(Amendment) Act of 2001
The CYPA has just been amended togive the Juvenile Court a wider range ofn o n - cu st o d ia l o p ti o ns a n d e nh a n c ecommunity orders to meet the varied
rehabilitative needs pre-delinquents andyoung offenders.
The a m endm ent o f the CY PA w illincrea se the momentum for juvenile
justice reforms in Singapore. We willpress on with the stance we have beent aking a nd con tin ue to refin e ourrestorative approach to dealing withjuvenile offenders. In his keynote address
before an international audience at theYouth Justice 2000 Conference (13–15
S eptember 2000 in Singapore) coconvened by the Ministry of Community
Development and Spo rts and theSubordinate Courts of Singapore, theHonourable the Chief Justice commented:“The values and philosophy
expressed in these conventions, likethe UN Gu idelin es for th ePrevention of Juvenile Delinquency(which are known as the Riyadh
Guidelines), the UN Rules for The
Protection of Juveniles Deprived of
Their Liberty, the UN Standard
Minimum
Rules
for
th e
Administration of Juvenile Justice(commonly known as the Beijing
Rules), the International Convention
on the Rights of The Child, havealready transformed practice and114

procedures in some pa rts of theworld. Their promotion of diversion
and restorative measures, as well as
the ir insiste nce on rights an dsafeguards, signals a new approachto the treatment of young people thathas been increasingly influential.
We have kept faith with thesei n t e rn a t i o n a l s t a n da rd s . O n 7
Septemb er 2 000, Singapore w asamong the first countries in theworld to sign the Optional Protocol
to the Convention on the Rights of
the Child”.
Expectedly, juvenile justice reforms
that have taken place have increasingly
centred around:a. maximising diversion from the court
system;b. minimising penetration into thesystem;c. proactively
addressing
offendingbehaviour; andd. engendering public support andconfidence.
C. Probation of Offenders Act
The Probation of Offenders Act
Chapter 252 requires the Courts to take
into account all the circumstances of thecase, including the nature of the offence
and the character of the offender. Yet thele gis lati on is c le a r in tha t wh ile itreco gnises yo ung o ff end er s ca n a nd
sho uld be re habilitat ed , it is ne ver
granted as a right. Restorative justice isp r e d i c a t e d o n h e lp in g th e j u ve n i leoffender to gain full cognisance of his/her
offending and its impact on self, family,
others and society in general. It seeks todeal with underlying causes of offending
and to integrate offenders and theirfamilies into society by involving all
significant parties in the offence and thelife of the juvenile offender.

118TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
VISITING EXPERTS’ PAPERS
The amended CYPA, together with theProbation of Offenders Act provides for:a. a continuum of graduated yet flexible
sanctions to correspond to the needsof each juv enile offen der whileproviding for community safety;
b. immediate and therapeutic intervention at the first sign of delinquent
behaviour;c. ownership and accountability of thefamily of the juvenile in the
rehabilitation process.
Against the backdrop of what has beensaid, it may be useful to give an overview
of how juvenile offenders are managed.
II. OVERVIEW OF THE
MANAGEMENT OF JUVENILE
OFFENDERS IN SINGAPORE
A juvenile is defined as a person who is
between the age of 7 years and below 16
years and by this legal definition, falls
under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile
Court. The management and treatment of
juv enile offenders in Singapore isgrounded on the belief that every juvenile
has the capacity to change and that ourultimate goal is the rehabilitation andreintegration of each juvenile in conflictwith the law.
III. TREATMENT OF JUVENILE
OFFENDERS
A. Pre-Court Diversionary Measures
When a juvenile offender is arrested
f or an offe nce , b eside s cha rging theoffender, the police may opt for any one of
the following measures:
a. Release the juvenile with a warning
to both the juvenile and the parents
or guardians;

b. Release the juvenile with a warning
to both the juvenile and the parents
or guardia ns and refer them to asocial service agency for assistanceand counselling;c. On the advice of the AttorneyGen er al, th e Po lice m a y ask thejuvenile to participate in a 6-monthcounselling and rehabilitation
programme known as the Guidance
Programme (GP).
B. Juvenile Court Measures
When a juvenile is brought before theJ u v e n i le C o u r t , th e C o u r t in m o s t
instances would require a pre-sentence
report for the purpose of determining themost appropriate order. Depending on thegravity of the offence and merits of eachcase, the Juvenile Court may consider
one or more of the following options:a. Discharge the case conditionally or
unconditionally;b. Place a bond on the parent/guardian
to ensure proper care and supervisionof the juvenile;c. Place the juvenile under the care of a“fit person”;
d. Place him/her on stand alone
community service order;e. Place him/her on stand alone
weekend detention;
f. Place him/her on probation for aperiod ranging from 6 month to 3
yea rs with o r without conditions(which may include requiring him/her
to g o f o r p e r i o d i c t r a in i n g a s acondition of probation) and with orwithout a condition of residency in aprobation hostel for up to 12 months;
g. Order the juvenile to be detained for aperiod not exceeding 3 months andpla ce him/her o n prob ation upondischarge;
h. Order him/her to be detained for aperiod of not more than 6 months;

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RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 59i.

Order the juvenile to be committed to
a n A p p ro ve d S c ho o l f o r juv en ileof fenders f or reha bilitation fo r aperiod between 24 to 36 months;
j. Require the juvenile and parents toparticipate in family conferencing;k. Require the parents to go formandatory counselling.
IV. GUIDING PRINCIPLES IN THE
REHABILITATION OF JUVENILE
OFFENDERS
The following principles andconsideration underpin the rehabilitationof juvenile offenders in Singapore:
A. Diversion from Court Process
where Possible and Appropriate
Accor din g to police r ecords, th ep e rc en tage o f j uve nile s let o ff withwarning including all bail and referralcases to other departments is between
88% and 90%.
In October 1997, the Guidance
Programme (GP) was launched by the
Ministry of Community Development andSports (MCDS), to strengthen theeffectiveness of let-off with police caution
for selected juveniles who require morethan just a w arning to steer clear of
future offending. This a rose fromobservation in 1994/5 th at 30% ofjuveniles who were let off with police
caution went on to commit fresh offences
within 2 years of being let of with mere
police caution.
T h e G P , a p r o gr a m m e f u n d e d b y
Government, is an inter-agency
networking mechanism which involves
the Police, schools and VWOs appointed
by MCD to provide a counselling andrehabilitative programme for juvenile
offenders. Upon successful completion ofGP, a juvenile would be let off with astern warning in lieu of prosecution for116

the offences committed. Participation in
the programme is voluntary. The GP
spans 6-months in the first instance.
Where it is deemed necessary and in theinterest of the juvenile, the juvenile may
be required to undergo the programme foranother 6 m onths, subject to the
concurrence of both the juvenile and his
parents.
The GP aims to get the juvenile to:a. recognise the offence committed as acriminal act;
b. make a decision to help himself not tocommit an offence again;c. commit to work on his ability to
manage his vulnerability to commit
future offences.
Parents in turn are helped to acquire
knowledge and skills in effective
parenting and supervision of the juvenile.
As at the end of 2000, 1081juvenile cases
have been placed on the GP programme.
Completion rate is about 90%. Only 2%
re-offended.
The programme has just bee nevaluated and the findings, shared withall relevant stakeholders of GP on 30 May
2001.
W it h e f fe ct fr om 1 O ct . 2 0 0 1 , t heJuvenile Court will have the option ofgiving stand alone orders to deal withselected minor offenders deemed to beable to benefit from community orders
without need for supervision orders.
B. Institutionalisation as the Last
ResortCommunity orders such as stand aloneorders and probation offer an alternative
to sending a young offender to ac o r re c ti o n a l f a c i li ty . H o w e v e r , th ec ha ll e n ge lie s i n e n su r in g th e r e i sadequate supp ort service s and118TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
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interventions at the probation
programme level to lend weight to theviability of community-based orders.
Probation is the conditional suspensionof punishment while an offender is placed
under the supervision of a Probation
Officer and given guidance or treatment
within the community. The period ofprobation ranges from 6 months to 3
years and there are 3 grades of probation;
administrative, supervised and intensive
p r o b a t i o n . T h e l e v e l of s er vi ce a n d
supervision is matched to the level ofrisks and potential for rehabilitation.
Relevant factors include criminal history,
motivation for change, school progress
and family situation. The conditions
imposed as part of the probation orderdiffer in terms of the level of supervision,
frequency of contacts, the number ofrestrictions and the programmes thejuvenile is ma nd ated to a ttend. The
probationers may also be subjected toco mbination orde rs. T he degree o fsupervision and monitoring increases
progressively with each grade.
Split probation may be considered forcases which are assessed to be needing
more intensive supervision orintervention o nly d uring the initialperiod. The system of graded probation
allows for optimum use of resources whileproviding Probation Officers with theflexibility to tailor probation supervision
to meet individualised needs. Details of
the graded system can be found in Annex
II of the “National Standards for the
Probation of Offenders as their
Rehabilitation in the Community” (in thefolder). A copy is attached as Appendix I
for easy reference.
Singapore has put in place acontinuum of services and programmes toaddress young offenders’ risk issues while
enhancing the protective factors to steer

young people from offending.
Community-based supervision isstrengthened when there is a continuumof supportive services and programmes toenable the offender’s continued stay inthe community throughout therehabilitation period.
One of the core fu nctions of theProbation Service is to provide the courts
with pre-sentence reports on whether an
offender is suitable for community-basedorders. The availability of communitybased programmes and support services
which meet the offenders’ risk issues, andhis / he r w ill in gn es s to r e ce i ve su chservices are vital in Probation Officer’s
assessment of suitability for probationand conditions to be imposed. At the presentence stage, due consideration is also
given to factors such as ethnic parenting
perspectives of high risk cases. The aim is
to draw on the strengths in the family
network to support the helping process;whether to assist the offender in school
placement, remain in sch ool or be
engaged in skills training. Community
support and resources are also tapped toaddress the risk factors in the supervisionof cases where probation is recommended.
Increa sin gly, focus has been on
sharpening risks assessment andmanagement to bring about successful
rehabilitation of young offenders andtheir effective restoration to theco mm u nity witho ut the stigm a of aconviction or committal to a juvenile
correctional facility. To this end,
Singapore is developing a local
instrumentforpre- sentencing
classification of juvenile offenders. The
Juvenile Offending Behaviour (JOB)
criteria will enable the Juvenile Court todistinguish risk factors for categorisation
into “developmental limited versus life
course persistent” offenders. The
components to the JOB criteria include

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RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 59
assessment of severity of charges, risk
assessment based on static and dynamic
factors and proximate factors which canaffect sentencing e.g. remorse level in
Court, behaviour while in remand or bail,chamber discussions, family conferencing
and so f orth. Stud ies are also being
conducted by the Ministry of Community
D e ve lo pm ent and S ports to ide ntify
predictive factors for success and failure
on community orders. These coordinatedefforts will move us into evidence-based
practice in the classification andtreatment of juvenile offenders.
At the programming level, several
measures have been taken to enhance thee f f e c tiv e ne s s o f co m m u n ity o r d e r s,
principally probation and promote its
c red ibility as an e ff e ctive m ean s o fdealing with selected offenders.
1. Community Service Order (CSO)
CSO was introduced as a condition ofprobation in December 1996. CSO is anorder of the court requiring an offender top e r f o r m un p a i d w o r k f o r a s p e ci f ic
number of hours. It is currently metedout either as a stand alone order or as acondition of probation.
The objectives of CSO are 3-fold:a. As a rehabilitative measure, CSO
afford s an offend er p ositive
experience through community workand this in turn fosters developmentof empa thy and consideration forothers. In the process, the offender
gains meaningful social experiences,develops constructive social
relationship skills, and regains selfesteem and confidence;b. As a punishment, CSO deprives anoffender of his/her leisure hours;c. As a form of reparation, CSO provides
the offender an opportunity to makeamends for the wrongs /hurt caused

118

by the offending behaviour throughservice to the community.
As at December 2000, 1449
probationers have been given between
40–240 hours of CSO as a condition ofprobation. The rate of completion to-datei s 9 8 % . A n ev a l ua t i on s t u d y o n t heeffectiveness of CSO from the viewpoints
of probationers, parents and CSO work
agencies (August, 1998) showed that CSO
h a s m e t w it h t h e o b j e c t i v e s o f t h e
programm e. B enef its cited bypprobationers, parents and CSO work
agencies include:a. Acquisition of new skills;
b. Improved intra-family relationshipthrough better communication;c. Greater respect for parents, elders in
the family, and authority figures;
d. Moreuseful
at
home,
more
responsible;
e. More considerate and mindful ofothers;f. Tendency for parents to inquire onwhat transpired at the CSO agency
thus increasing parent-child contact;
g. Parents generally pleased theirchildren were constructively engaged;
h. CSO
agencies
generally
found
probationers’ work good or at the very
least, satisfactory.
Since 1999, we have bee n
implementing value-added CSO
targeting selected young offenders i.e. thenon-academically inclined a nd those
asse s se d to be lack in g sup p o r t a nd
direction in life. Given probationers’
overall responsiveness to the programme,
we leveraged on the CSO obligation to
perform unpaid work for specified hours
by choosing placement options calculated
to p r o v id e e x p e r i e n ti a l le a r n in g &acquisition of trade and other marketableskills. Site supervisors with special trade

118TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
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and other skills were engaged for valueadded CSO projects.

experience, celebrate success for eachwell-completed tasks.

M o re t ha n 5 0 0 p ro ba t i on ers ha vecompleted their CSO by participating invalue-added CSO projects such as wheelchair repairs, minor renovations andlandscaping works, painting walls andmurals, setting up of Visitor’s Corner inchildren’s home, overall improvement ofeldercare facilities and eldercare
management under the supervision of astate-registered nurse specialising in
geriatric care. Two new 2 value added
CSO programmes that are currently inforce are the “Bizlink Project” w hichinvolves the creation of hand-made cards
by probationers alongside people withphysical disabilities. The cards are thensent to volunteers, schools and other keensupp orters of the rehabilitation
programme to sustain their motivation to
support juvenile offenders.

Parents are well-engaged in the whole
CSO process. For many probationers, thevisible output of their CSO andappreciation from parents and services
users c reate pow er ful “teach able”
moments that can be life altering.

Another programme that has come on
stream is “Empowerment One” which
involves the referral of youth who havedifficulty benefiting from mainstream
educational and vocational system to theManagement Development Institute ofSingapore to complete mod ular
programmes which lead to a certification.
The probationers are then channelledeither to mainstream educational or
vocational institution. Those who are notinclined towards either set up are placedon industry attachment to keep themeconomically engaged in a supportive
work environment.
Besides using CSO as a platform forv o c a ti o n a l d e v e l o p m e n t a n d s k i ll s
acquisition, CSO placements are also
designed to give ample opportunities foryoung offenders to be self-affirmed. We
capitalise on self-enhancing moments to
get probationers to p rocess their

In implementing the CSO programme,
we strive to establish a nexus betweeno f f e n c e c o m m it t e d a n d t h e t y p e o f
com munity se rvice an offender isrequired to perform. For cyber offenders,C S O p la c e m e n t in c l u d e s a st i n t o fvolunteering in projects which demand
constructive use of IT savvy-ness for aworthwhile cause e.g. developing start-up
screens to warn against hacking andconsequences of cyber crimes, developing
parent education materials onsupervising children in internet time,developing IT applications for life-longlearning for the elderly or for disabled toplug into the info-tech world.
In 2000, the CSO placement process
was fine-tuned to render the process itself
a reasoning and rehabilitation tool topromote informed decision making, goal
setting, shared responsibility and childparticipation in his/her CSO placement
decisions. This move brings us closer tothe principles of respect for the views of
the child a nd c hild p a rticip a tion inmatters concerning him/her espoused in
the Conventio n on the R ights of theChild.
2. Strengthening of Probation Orders
A review of the use of probation orders
in 1 9 9 7 a nd im p le m e n ta t io n o f th ere com m e nd a tions o f the “R e po rt on
Strengthe ning Prob ation O rders” inJanuary 1998 was a significant move inpromoting probation as anything but a“sof t o ption ”. T he gra de d p rob a tion

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system seeks to balance the need forpunishment and deterrence and the hopefor rehabilitation. We take into accountthe type of offences committed, severity ofoffences, type of offenders, circumstancesof the case, likelihood of re-offending, thepersonal factors and type of programmes
most appropriate in meeting all these
considerations.
The strengthening of probation has
resulted in better probation outcomes interms of higher completion rate and lower
recidivism over a 3-year post probation
period.
3. Institutionalisation of core & elective
programmes
Since 1998, a structured programme
was devised for probationers to augment
reporting and casework. Divided into coreprogrammes i.e. those deemed essential
and beneficial to every probationer orparent, and elective programmes whichtarget specific risks and needs dependingon the offender and type of offence, theprogrammes were intended to provide:a. avenues and measures to benchmark
the probationer’s progress;b. opportunities for probationers to workthrough lapses of bad behaviour;c. avenues for constructive pursuit ofleisure time; andd. opportunities for specific problems tobe addressed.
Core programme include group-based
induction for new probationer, victim
impact awareness, parents induction,
parenting workshop s and preterm ination
session.
Elective
programmes in turn seek to address avariety of risks factors or individual
needs of probationers which may
undermine progress on probation if left
u na tte nd e d . P ro gr a m me s ta r ge tingalcohol dependency, anger and120

aggression, secret society involvement,
drugs misuse, and personal development
programmes like making healthy lifec h o i c e s , s t u d y s k il ls e t c . a r e s o m eexamples.
4. Focused programmes to address
specific risks
To minimise non-completion or reoffending for the more serious or highrisk probation cases, specific programmes
are put in place in collaboration withvarious government, non-government,
people and the corporate sector:
a. Intensive quit smoking programmes
for under-aged smoking
b. “Get it Straight — Facts on Alcohol
Use and Misuse”
c. “Anti-relapse
programme
forsubstance abusers”
d. “Sex Offenders Treatment
Programme”
e. “Lucent-SHINE” programme — a
motivational programme with strong
parent involvement and service learning components for Chinese speaking
cases sponsored by Lucent Technology;
f. “POWER” programme for high risk
Malay cases;g. “360%” programme by Rotary Family
Service Centre;
h. “Lawless to Lawplus”;
i. Empowerment-One (E1).
5. Individualised Programme forIntellectually-disabled (ID) Offenders
In June 2000, a smart_id team (special
m an ag em ent a nd re sour ce tea m f or
intellec tually disabled ) was f o rm edcomprising specially trained personnel
su p p o r te d b y a n in t e r - d i sc ip li na r yresource panel (psychologist, medicalsocial workers, experts in various types of
disabilities, disability service providers,lawyers etc.) to specialise in the
preparation of pre-sentence reports for118TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
VISITING EXPERTS’ PAPERS
intellectually-disabled (ID) offenders. The
main objective was to have an
individualised assessment and caseworkthat would enhance community-based
supervision of ID offenders. The move has
resulted in the development of a protocol
which requires investigating Probation
Officers to exhaust all possible avenues ofcommunity-based rehabilitation of ID
offenders.
6. Probation Service in Family Service
Centres and Community Focal Points
Efforts to widen probation for young
offenders bring in its wake, outreach ofProbation Service into schools and thecommunity and the intensification ofprogrammes by offenders to benefit theco mm unity. To -d a te , se ve ra l fa m ily
service centres and community centres
serve as venues for our individual andgroupwork for offenders and theirfamilies. Many are ethnic or faith basedorganisations and therefore best placed toaddress cultural and other diversity:
a. 4PM-Mendaki Family Service Centre(FSC)
b. Rotary FSC
c. Young Women Muslim Association —Mendaki FSC
d. Pertapis Adolescent Centre (PADC)
e. Singapore
IndianDevelopment
Centre (SINDA) FSC
f. 8 community centres
7. Employment Development
ProgrammesWork development programmes havebeen put in place to cater to out-of-school/
work young offenders who face difficulty
staying in school and yet unable to findw o rk . I n co m e ge n er a ti ng ac tiv itie s
through collaborations with the disability
sector e.g. Bizlink Centre, Metta Welfare
Association and Movement for the
I nt e l le c t u a l ly D is a b le d , S in g a p o r e(MINDS) are ways in which probationers

help people with special needs and theelderly to remain competitive in meeting
work targets to secure work contracts.
The probationers in turn get theopportunity to develop positive work
habits and skills within a sheltered work
setting.
8. Condition of Residency
Currently 5 facilities are gazetted asprobation hostels or “App roved
Institutions” under the Probation of
Offenders Act. They are:
For Malesa. Singapore Boys Hostel
b. Bukit Batok Hostel
For Femalesc. Pertapis Women’s & Girls’ Centre
d. Muhammadiyah Homee. Gracehaven
The Probation of Offenders Act
restricts condition of residency on aprobationer to no more than 12 months.
Sections 6 & 7 of the Act further require a
review report be submitted to the court
after the expiry of 6 month’s stay in ap ro b a tio n h o ste l f or the p ur p os e o f
he lp ing the court to de cide w he ther
continued hostel stay is necessary.
Besides gazetted hostels, there are also
numerous other facilities by voluntary
welfare orga nisations w hich take inprobationers who require a brief
residential stay on a voluntary basis, toiron out family problems, work throughpersonal or other crisis, or severe ties
with negative associates. The availabilityof options such as these allows for wider
use of probation in cases which would
otherwise be assessed to be too unstable
to benefit from co mmunity-based
rehabilitation.

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Institutionalisation of a young offenderis considered only as a last resort after allelse have failed and when it becomes
sufficiently clear that committing a young
offender to an institution is really in his/her best interest.
C. The Family as Basic Building
Block of Society and Change
Agent
In 2000, about 78% of the probation
population were 18 years and below. Of
these, a close 80% are either in the schoolor technical education system. 19% werefrom single parent.
The family is the basic building blocko f society. It is also one of the m ost
important change agents for juvenile
delinquents and young offenders. In our
rehabilitative work with a youngo f f e n d e r, w e st r iv e t o b u il d o n t h estrengths of each family and its networks
to effect positive changes in the young
offender if not the whole family unit.
Probation is used as an instrument ofchange to re-shape attitudes, values andbehaviour. We work on amending flaws
within the individual and family system
to empower the probationer and family tosustain changes and build up resiliency.
The strengthening families frameworkused in community-based rehabilitationof offenders begin from the pre-sentence
stage right to the end o f pr obatio n.
Family engagement and empowerment
include:a. negotiatedactionplan
where
p roba tio n is reco mm ended or f orresistant cases, the plan of action
would have been discussed with theparents;b. parental bond to exercise proper careand supervision;c. attendance at core and elective
programmes for parents e.g. parents

122

induction, experiential parenting
workshops (“Raising troubled Teens
Without Raising Blood Pressure”),
parents support groups, educationaltalks on ga ngs, sub stance a buse,prison visits (with their offend er
child);
d. other specialised services e.g. special
sessions for parents of young sex
offenders;e. progress review with the parents andproviding feedback on outcome ofcourt reviews;
f. family
conference,solutionorprob le m-f ocuse d counselling andother sessions;g. pre-termination programme for bothprobationer and parents.
Parents sessions factor in language theparents are most comfortable in. Ethnic
dimensions, single parent status and theavailability of a special needs child in thefamily unit are given due consideration indesigning activities and programmes tofully engage parents in the rehabilitation
process.
At each stage of the probation process,the roles and responsibilities of parents
and what is expected of them are madeclear. Disadvantaged families are given
additional help to enhance theirfunctioning. Casework in such instances
may include sponsorship of a divorced or
widowed parent to a computer course or
back-to-work programmes.
D. The Many Helping Hands
Approach to Community
Rehabilitation
The effectiveness of probation, as aco mmunity-based rehabilitatio nprogramme, is enhanced only if there iscommunity support and involvement.
Community acceptance of offenders andtheir potential for change, understandingof the goals, principles and methods of118TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
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prob atio n, a nd their co mmitm ent tosupport reintegration efforts cannot be
overly emphasised.
Thus Probation Service has, since the70s, and more so in recent years, actively
engaged and involve the community in avariety of ways:
1. Volunteer Probation Officers:
Community Probation Service
The Community Probation Service(CPS), introduced in June 1971, will bemarking its 30th anniversary in October
2001. It is 350-member strong and has
evolved into a well-developed volunteer
programme. Volunteer Probation Officers(V POs), com plement the work ofProbation Officers. By befriending andguiding probationers, VPOs help to steer
young people back to the straight andc on str uctiv e p a th . Fo r m a n y of o ur
succe ssful ca se s, V POs m a ke a re aldifference in re-shaping the lives of young
offenders.
Sustaining, supporting and providing
on-going training to keep volunteers
continually challenged and motivatedposes a grave challenge especially in thisline of work where staff burn-out is a very
real issue. To appeal to the diversity ofinterests, skills, talents and volunteer
aspirations, CPS offers a wide scope of
involvement to cater to VPOs’ interests,
skills and training received as well as thevarious stages of their volunteer life
cycle. These include:a. casework;b. projects e.g. prepare pre-sentence
reports, organis e activ ities forprobationers & parents individual orgroup basis;c. time restriction checks;
d. committee & volunteer coordination;
ande. groupwork.

VPOs are currently involved informulating annual work plans relating
to a cti vitie s f o r a nd by v ol unt e er s,organising VPO Skills Training Seminars
aimed at sharpening skills in working
with today’s youth, and recently, evendeveloping a guidebook to support VPOs
in r e h a b i l it a t i o n w o r k w i th y o u n g
offenders.
CPS is being positioned toaccommodate group volunteering as wellas corporate volunteerism.
2. School-Probation Service-Court Link
(SPC) Link
The Schools-Probation Service-Court(SPC) Link was established in April 2000
to provide a school-focus to the probation
programme given 80% of probationers 18
years of a ge and below are either inscho ols or the institute of te chnica l
education (ITE) centres. The SPC Link
ha s b ee n e xpa nd ed to co ver pr iva teschools and tuition centres attended bypr o b a tio n c a se s. T he S PC L ink ha sresulted in more streamlined information
gathering processes, more opportunities
for dialogue between the agencies before,
du ring a n d a f t e r pr ob a t i on , a nd a n
integrated management of young
offenders through close partnership withOperations Managers or other authorised
persons from participating schools.
3. Community Links
Besides collaboration with schools, theProbation Service, has linked up withsevera l volunta ry welf are a gencies,
religious-based organisations, civic andself-help as well as theatre groups, sports
bodies, grassroots organisation and thecorporate sector to actively engage the“many helping hands” at the local andcommunity level to enhance prospects ofrehabilitation and reintegration of young
offenders through engagem ent in

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RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 59
meaningful pursuits for physical,
material and spiritual well being.
4. National Standards for the Probationof Offenders & their Rehabilitation in
the Community
To reap maximum benefits ofp a r tne rsh ip s w ith f a m ilie s an d th ecom munity, it is im porta nt tha t theprobation investigation and supervisionp r o ce ss b e m a d e tr a nsp a re nt t o a ll
parties including the probationer andfamily. Transparency and accountability
are twin goals that are especially relevantin the p ro b a tio n c on te xt w he re th eb alance of p ower is so mewha t tilted
against the offender.
As a stamp of commitment to service
standards and best practice in probation
work, Singapore launched the “National
Standards for the Probation of Offenders
and their Re habilitation in theCommunity” in August 2000. The
p ublicatio n, put to ge th er jointly by
MCDS and the Subordinate Courts, is asignificant milestone in the developmentof the probation system in Singapore. The
standa rds ha ve b een translated into
Mandarin, Malay and Tamil to cater tope rsons more conversant in thevernacular languages.
Wh en co m m unity- b a se d o rd er s iseither just not viable whether from theviewpoint of a juvenile offender’s needs or
public safety, institutional orders are
meted out. Even so, preference is on
placing the juvenile in an open institution
to allow him/her to continue on withmainstream education or employment. It
is only when all else fail, that we go for acommittal order in a secured facility.
Since July 1999, we have introduced apost-sentencing classification system toassess risk of violence, abscondence, selfharm and victimization among newly

124

co m m it te d j uv en ile ca se s. T h e r isk
assessment forms a basis for caseworkers
in the juvenile homes to conduct theneeds assessments and formulate anindividual care plan for the period of the
boy’s residence and during aftercare
supervision. A detailed write-up on thetreatment of juvenile in custody can befound in the folder.
V. CHALLENGES FOR THE FUTURE
As we transit into the new knowledgebased economy, and confront all thatcomes with it, the challenge is for us toco nt inuo u sly str ive fo r a p r ob a tio nsystem which is cogent and transparent,
structured in process and procedures, yet
flexib le a nd resp onsive to cha nging
needs.
One of the strategic thrusts would be tocontinue to leverage on our national
policy of continuous learning and ease ofa c c e s s t o in f o - t e c h n o lo gy t o b e t te r
prepare probationers to carve job niches
for themselves and reduce re-offending
due to economic reasons.
F o c us w ill als o b e o n id e n tif y in g
pa rtne rs fo r colla b ora tive re se arch,
exchange of executive programmes ando th e r p a rt n e r sh ip s b o th w i th l o ca lpartners and overseas counterparts toco ntinue to inje ct dyn a mism in our
m a n a g e m e n t , i m p l e m e n ta t i o n a n devaluation of the service both at the
programmes as well as system level.
Identification of risk assessment andmanagement tools and data management
system that will help us to achieve better
outcomes with less manpower, will bevital in Singapore’s manpower scenario.
No less important are managerial issues;of a tt ract ing a nd reta ini ng s uita bl yqualified staff, providing staff training
and career development, and capacity

118TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
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building of all the constituents of thejuvenile justice system.
Widening the use of probation willinvariably mean the challenge of having
to meet and deal w ith m ore complex
n e e d s o f in d i v i d u a l s a n d f a m i l ie s ,prioritising responses to target “whatw o r k s ” a n d p r o v i d in g s u p p o r t a n dtechnical expertise to the many helping
hands we engage in the rehabilitation ofo f f e n d e r s. T h e s e i ss u e s h a ve t o b eadequately dealt with at appropriate
levels if we are to continue in our drive
towards a more progressive, morehumane and progressive treatment ofyoung offenders in Singapore.

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Appendix 1
Conditions and Duration of the 3 Grades of Probation
Grades And Period of Probation
Item

Administrative
Probation(6 months to 1
year)

Conditions• To comply withtime restrictions• To work faithfully at a suitable
employment orfaithfully pursue
a course of study
or vocational
training that will
equip the offenderfor employment• To make a goodfaith effort
towards completion of his/hercourse of study or
vocational training• To participate inor comply withthe rehabilitation
programme specified by either the
court or the probation officer

126

Supervised
Probation(1 to 2 years)

Intensive
Probation(2 to 3 years)

In addition to theconditions which
may be imposed for
Administrative Probation, the following may be
imposed:In addition to theconditions which
may be imposed for
Administrative Probation and Supervised Probation, thefollowing may be
imposed:• To maintainregular contact
with theprobation officer• To allow the
probation officer
to visit theoffender atreasonable times
at his home orworkplace or any
other place• Not to smoke• Not to consume
alcohol• Not to associatewith or be in thecompany of secretsociety members• Not to associatewith or be in thecompany of
persons who are
engaged incriminal activities• To reside for a
specified period in
an approved
institution orhome or hostel• To beelectronicallytagged118TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
VISITING EXPERTS’ PAPERS
Grades And Period of Probation
Item

Administrative
Probation(6 months to 1
year)

Supervised
Probation(1 to 2 years)

Conditions(continued)• To attend andparticipate inanti-secret society
talks or prison
visits• To attend healthy
lifestyleawareness
programmes• To participate incommunity
projects• Not to patroniseor visit pubs,
discotheques,night-clubs,
karaoke lounges,
billiards saloons
or video gamearcades• To maintain aneat and proper
appearance• If so ordered, tohave secretsociety related
tattoos removed
by a medical
practitioner
within a specified
period from thecommencement
date of theprobation order• To refrain fromany contact,direct or indirect,
with the victim or
any other person
connected to thecase• To submit toregular drug and/or alcohol tests

Recommended
Hours of CSO

Not less than 40hours

Not more than 120
hours

Intensive
Probation(2 to 3 years)

Between 120 to 240
hours127