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Changi Prison Inmates Wrote To Us Saying How Much They Miss 8 DAYS’ Print Magazine
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Changi Prison Inmates Wrote To Us Saying How Much They Miss 8 DAYS’ Print Magazine

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Changi Prison Inmates Wrote To Us Saying How Much They Miss 8 DAYS’ Print Magazine
Changi Prison Inmates Wrote To Us Saying How Much They Miss 8 DAYS’ Print Magazine
A few weeks ago, we received two snail mail letters from the Changi Prison Complex. The thin sheets of paper were dog-eared, as though they had been thumbed many times before. For the uninitiated, letter paper is a precious commodity in prison. It’s like the inmates’ version of a data plan which they use to connect to the outside world. And how many of us have complained that 4GB of data a month is not enough? These inmates decided to invest their rare chance of correspondence to write to 8 DAYS.And it was all to petition for the return of our print magazine.“The reason I send forward this correspondence with concern is to detail not my crime or incarceration, but about a more worrisome imperative issue. A friend to a friend,” began one inmate (whom we shall call A) earnestly. “The sole reason for this snail mail is concerning the future demise of 8 DAYS print issue...”
Changi Prison Inmates Wrote To Us Saying How Much They Miss 8 DAYS’ Print Magazine
As it turns out, 8 DAYS is in some ways a luxury commodity in prison, where basic necessities like Wi-Fi and mobile phones, that are usually taken for granted in the outside world, are removed. Like everyone else, inmates look for an entertaining way to pass time. Even those who hardly read as free men pick up a book in prison.We found out about this through a colleague’s friend, who served a month-long prison sentence for drink driving. Not really one to read 8 DAYS, he became hooked on reading the magazine from front to back while serving time, simply because there was nothing else to do. That was when he discovered that the Ch 8 drama The Dream Makers was a pretty darn riveting series, even if he had to vicariously ‘watch’ it by reading the drama synopses. “I don’t know if you are aware of it, but the word ‘8 DAYS’ is being heard in the prison facilities more times
Changi Prison Inmates Wrote To Us Saying How Much They Miss 8 DAYS’ Print Magazine
As it so happens, we also know of someone who is currently serving a long sentence for a serious crime. He told us he notes down the interesting eateries he read about in 8 DAYS. “So that I can go try when I get out. Something to look forward to.” he remarked hopefully. “Wah, I hope 8 DAYS never stop its print. Or else sian.” Imagine his dismay when he learnt that we were really stopping our print copies. “Gonna miss 8 DAYS. Can you tell them not to do that?!” he grumbled.He has since requested for us to buy him the Oxford English Dictionary, which he plans to read from cover to cover in lieu of 8 DAYS. It all sounded quite drastic to us, and it really is. After tearing through Dan Brown’s thriller The Da Vinci Code, self-help book The Secret and the Holy Bible, his attempt to get a copy of MMA fighter Conor McGregor’s biography was denied. “Books about fighting and
Changi Prison Inmates Wrote To Us Saying How Much They Miss 8 DAYS’ Print Magazine
Interestingly, the two letters from the inmates A and B are almost identical. As though the two guys had one day discussed and decided to band together to start Project Save 8 DAYS’ Print. A signs off his letter with this plea: “We treasure the friendship forged between us and you by the medium called ‘8 DAYS’. And that is why this precious piece of paper, given to me to write to a loved one, is being used in an attempt to revive the pulse of the prison community, our 8 DAYS, our friend.”While we were truly moved by the sentiment, we are sadly unable to resurrect our print copies. And even though it may be a poor facsimile of the real thing, we can only say to those of you who might have loved ones in prison: perhaps you may want to consider ‘reviving’ 8 DAYS magazine by making an e-zine from printouts of stories from our website (www.8days.sg). As B puts it: “God bless 8 DAYS hard copies [sic] to remain with us, amidst all the turmoil we face in life.”
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By Yip Jieying
Published November 26, 2018
Updated November 28, 2018
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Over the 28 years that 8 DAYS has been in print, before we went fully digital this September, we’ve had our fair share of fan letters. Sure, there was the occasional brickbat (shout out to the aspiring sub-editor dude who sent us torn magazine pages with every typo circled in red). But it was mostly warm, fuzzy messages from longtime readers — everyone from students to retirees — who took time out from their day to send us some love.

For some reason, we never had a chance to interact with another group of people who read 8 DAYS — the people who have experienced life behind prison walls. Therein lies the unfortunate limitation of print. Unlike an online comment posted in mere seconds on Facebook or Instagram, it’s not as easy for readers of our print magazine to give their feedback. You’d have to type out an e-mail, craft a message, or, if you have no Internet access but are very determined, put a stamp on a letter and painstakingly mail it to us.

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