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Prison aftercare scheme instils discipline, helps to turn inmate’s life around

SINGAPORE – He studied for a second diploma while in prison, and found a job as an executive at a hotel after being released. Matt (not his real name) is now studying part-time for a degree and plans to pursue his Masters one day.

Mr Matt, an ex-convict with his reintegration officer, Chief Warder 1 Arulkumar Krishnadas (R).

Mr Matt, an ex-convict with his reintegration officer, Chief Warder 1 Arulkumar Krishnadas (R).

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SINGAPORE – He studied for a second diploma while in prison, and found a job as an executive at a hotel after being released. Matt (not his real name) is now studying part-time for a degree and plans to pursue his Masters one day.

Matt’s remarkable turnaround began after he was placed on the Mandatory Aftercare Scheme (MAS) in May last year, while serving a three-year sentence for offences including cheating and forgery.

The scheme was introduced by the Singapore Prison Service in 2014 to provide step-down, structured aftercare for inmates with higher risks of re-offending, and for those who require more support after their release.

As early as nine months before their release, inmates attend a pre-release programme under the supervision of a reintegration officer in prison.

They continue to receive supervision and aftercare support for at least 12 months after release.

Matt is one of the more than 1,200 inmates who have been placed on the MAS in the past three years.

Sharing statistics about the MAS for the first time, the prison service said the scheme had a “high” completion rate of 93 per cent last year, similar to the 91.6 per cent in 2017 and 95.6 per cent in 2016.

There were 734 inmates placed on the scheme last year.

Matt, 33, said the MAS is crucial because “everybody in society has a third eye when it comes to people like this (ex-convicts), and it can be a light or heavy crime but they don’t understand the struggles we have been through”.

He attributed his success thus far to his reintegration officer, Chief Warder 1 Arulkumar Krishnadas, 37, who helped to instil discipline and focus in him during their weekly meetings.

Today, he still sends Mr Arulkumar a text message whenever something good happens in his life.

A counsellor from the Singapore After-Care Association (SACA) he met through the scheme also helped to mend his relationship with his parents, whom he had not spoken to for nearly 10 years, said Matt.

The prison service also released other key statistics on Tuesday (Feb 26):

  • The overall recidivism rate stood at 23.7 per cent – or nearly one in four inmates – for inmates released in 2016, which the prison service said was low and stable.

  • As of Dec 31 last year, there were 12,807 offenders serving their sentences – 10,809 are in prison while 1,998 of them are undergoing community correction programmes.

  • Community-based sentences, such as Day Reporting Orders and Short Detention Orders, achieved a 100 per cent completion rate last year. Twenty-six individuals completed their Day Reporting Order last year, while 23 of them completed their Short Detention Orders.

  • There were 5,307 employers registered with the Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (Score) in 2018. These are employers open to training and hiring ex-offenders. The number marked a 20 per cent increase from the 4,433 employers registered in 2014.

Responding to TODAY’s queries, Score – the statutory board which matches inmates with viable job opportunities – revealed the following figures:

  • 2,237 inmates, or 96 per cent of inmates referred to it, secured a job prior to release in 2018. This is an increase from the 1,865 inmates in 2014.

  • Last year, 64 per cent of ex-offenders retained their jobs six months after release. This is slightly lower than the 67 per cent recorded in 2014.

 

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