THE SINGAPORE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM
Goh Chin Mien

I. SINGAPORE PRISON SERVICE ― PART OF THE HOME TEAMThe M inistry of Home Affairs (MHA)is responsible for the safety and security of Singapore.TheSingapore Prison Service (SPS)is part of the Home Team together with nine other law enforcement
agencies and statutory boards:the Singapore Police Force,the Central Narcotics Bureau,the Internal
Security Department, the Home Team Academy, the Singapore Civil Defence Force, the Casino
Regulation Authority, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and the Singapore Corporation ofRehabilitative Enterprises.

II. M ISSION AND PURPOSE
The mission of SPS is being the key partner in criminal justice,to protect society through the safe
custody and rehabilitation of offenders,cooperating in prevention and aftercare.In Singapore,imprisonment serves the purposes of a)punishment, b)deterrence, c)incapacitation and d)reformation.
Imprisonment is punishment;hence Singapore prisons are spartan and the incarceration regimes arestrict.Imprisonment also incapacitates by denying offenders the opportunityto reoffend.The strict andstringent regime in Singapore prison should deter those who are incarcerated from reoffending afterrelease,as well as individuals in the community from offending.The SPS aims to be a transformational
place to rehabilitate and support offenders in their reintegration into communities to lead crime-freelives. In these ways, SPS executes justice, reduces reoffending and prevents offending.

III. SINGAPORE PRISON SERVICE TODAYSPS oversees 14 prisons:13 male institutions and one female institution. Some of the institutions
serve as drug rehabilitation centres (DRCs)as well,which are facilities for the treatment of first-andsecond-time drug offenders.As of 31 December 2011,the total prison population was 11,308,convicted
mainly of drug and property-related offences. The DRC population makes up about 11% of the total
inmate population.Since peaking at 18,000 in 2002,the prison population has been on a steady decline.
In 2011,1,376 penal inmates and 431 DRC inmates were placed in the community-based programmes,
in which inmates are allowed to work outside prison while residing in their homes,halfway houses,orwork-release camps,under supervised conditions.The programmes provide an opportunity for suitable
inmates to have a gradual transition from incarceration to complete freedom. In the same year, theCBP completion rate was 93.4%.
Recidivism in Singapore is defined as the percentage of local inmates detained, convicted andimprisoned again for a new offence within two years from their release.The overall recidivism rate forthe release cohort of 2009 was 26.7%.
Since the late 1990s, SPS has adopted a “clusterisation”strategy to achieve better resource andoffender management, by co-locating all prisons in one location in a super prison-complex. First
operationalized in 2004, the Changi Prison Complex currently comprises two clusters of five different
prison institutions each. There will be four clusters in total when the complex is fully operational.

Assistant Director, Psychological and Correctional Rehabilitation Services Division, Singapore Prison Service.

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IV. REHABILITATION FRAMEWORKThe SPS Rehabilitation Framework was developed in 2000 as an operating model to guide offenderreformation efforts. It articulates a structured and comprehensive approach for all rehabilitation
efforts,and ensures optimization of our limited resources by allocating programmes based on risks andneeds of prisoners. The Framework is based on the philosophy that:
Offendersʼreintegration potential is maximized through the building of family and/or social
ties and the delivery of programmes targeted at improving prisonersʼoffending behaviours,
attitudes and skills
Rehabilitation begins from the time an offender first enters the prison system and continues
even after release, underlining the importance of aftercare programmes and services for
ex-offenders
With the approach of through-care in mind,the Framework comprises three distinct phases:in-care,halfway care and aftercare.SPS collaborates closelywith other government organizations and community partners to ensure the seamless transfer of care of offenders and integrated support of offenders
in the community.
A. In-careIn-care refers to the period of an inmateʼs incarceration or detention that is served out physicallyin a prison or drug rehabilitation centre of the Singapore Prison Service. In-care comprises thefollowing four phases:
1. Admission
All inmates enter the prison system at the Admission Phase,where they are classified according totheir security risks and rehabilitation needs. A customized treatment plan, the Personal Route M ap(PRM), will be charted for each inmate according to his or her individual needs and risks. The PRM
records the inmateʼ
s progress in programmes that he or she requires or has gone through during
incarceration.
2. Deterrence
During the Deterrence Phase, minimal programmes are given to inmates,so that they may experience the rigours of incarceration for deterrent effect. It would also allow them time to adapt to theirincarceration or detention, reflect on their past actions and prepare for their treatment phase.
3. Treatment
During the Treatment Phase, inmates are allocated programmes according to the needs and risks
identified through their PRM. Programme allocation is based on the programme availability andpriority.
4. Pre-Release
During the Pre-Release Phase, inmates are given programmes that prepare them for reintegration
into the community upon their release.
B. Halfway Care
The Halfway Care phase refers to the period near the end of inmatesʼincarceration,where inmates,
if found suitable,may be selected to undergo halfway care programmes and serve out their remaining
sentences or detention orders in the community. This period provides inmates with opportunities fora gradual reintegration into the community,thereby forming the vital bridge between institutionalization and full freedom.
C. Aftercare
Aftercare refers to the immediate period subsequent to an inmateʼs release from the custody of SPS.
During this period, ex-inmates will be provided with support to reintegrate into the community.

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V. CONCLUSIONSPS aspires to achieve more than punishing and incapacitating offenders. It contributes to theprevention of offending and reduction of reoffending by deterring and reforming offenders.Successful
rehabilitation and reintegration involve more than SPS and the offenders,so SPS has always actively
engaged offendersʼfamilies and the larger community. In this way, SPS truly plays a key role in thecriminal justice system.

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