International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) 2024 – Speech by Mrs Josephine Teo, Minister for Digital Development and Information and Second Minister for Home Affairs

Mr Peter Severin, President, International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA),

Ms Natalie Boal, Executive Director, ICPA,

Mdm Shie Yong Lee, Commissioner of the Singapore Prison Service (SPS),

Delegates,

Colleagues and friends,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction

1. Good morning, and to our international guests, a warm welcome to Singapore. We are very honoured to host more than 800 of our guests from 70 jurisdictions at this conference. I can tell you that last night when I was still going through my speech, it said 400. But today magically, it has gone to 800. That is very good development. Somehow, you have produced this remarkable result, which I’m very happy to note.

2. The Annual Conference of the International Corrections and Prisons Association is important for several reasons.

(a) It brings together experts from around the world, to share best practices, and learn from one another.

(b) Our collective efforts help advance the standards of corrections and rehabilitation in our respective jurisdictions and make a real difference.

(c) But most of all, more than the difference that it makes, our work gives inmates and ex-offenders a chance to turn their lives around, and also the lives of their families.

Role of Corrections

3. The aim of the criminal justice system is to keep society safe. An effective system needs relevant laws, rigorous enforcement, and an effective judiciary.

4. What is less commonly talked about, but no less critical, is the role that corrections plays in this ecosystem.

5. Corrections is not, and should not be just about incarceration. It must also be about:

(a) Rehabilitating and reintegrating ex-offenders into society; and

(b) Reducing the risk of ex-offenders going back to a life of crime.

6. When corrections does these two roles well, society is safer and all of us are better off.

7. Our focus in Singapore, therefore, has also been on reducing recidivism, and increasingly, on maintaining desistance, not just to secure incarceration. These are indicators we use to measure how well SPS is delivering on its mission.

Challenges Faced by Corrections Authorities on Reintegration

8. The challenge is that while we, as Corrections Authorities, can provide significant support during incarceration, our influence diminishes once the inmates are no longer in our custody.

9. Yet the most important phase of rehabilitation is after the inmate returns to the community.

10. Unsurprisingly, we find that when inmates are given more support and scaffolding when re-entering the community, they are more confident and reintegrate better.

11. To do this, we need the whole of society to pitch in. The resources of the authorities, and our span of influence, are not enough. The sooner, the better we recognise this, the more likely we are able to rally the wider community to support these efforts.

SPS’s Corrections 2030 Blueprint

12. Let me share with you what Singapore has been doing and will be doing, to enhance the reintegration of our ex-offenders.

13. Some years back, SPS embarked on Corrections 2025.

(a) We encouraged inmates to take greater ownership of their learning and rehabilitation. We transformed the prison environment into one that actively promotes and supports their educational and rehabilitative journey. Among others:

(i) We introduced industry-focused skills training for the inmates, to enhance their employability after release.  For example, in precision engineering, media logistics and food services, where demand of skilled workers is very intense, and the willingness, the openness of the employers evident;

(ii) We expanded the education offerings for inmates and now have diploma and bachelor programs for inmates with higher academic aspirations; and

(iii) We leveraged technology to enhance the learning environment.  In particular, introducing tablets equipped with learning and communications applications to facilitate their rehabilitation journey.

(b) At the same time, we provided more opportunities for volunteers to support the reintegration of inmates and ex-offenders.

(c) We also partnered social service agencies to help the families of inmates. In gist, this involves triaging inmates at the onset of their incarceration right at the start, to identify those whose families might need social and financial assistance, and referring them to social service agencies for help. What that means is that the scaffolding starts right at the onset. We've got to recognise who is likely to need more scaffolding at the end of their stay with us. Some families might not be able to cope when a key member of the family is incarcerated. They might not also be able to cope very well when this family member returns to them. By doing so, inmates can focus better on their rehabilitation, if they are assured about the well-being of their family whilst they are incarcerated, then hopefully extending beyond.

(d) In addition, we expanded community corrections. We enabled more inmates to serve the tail end of their sentence in the community, while still under close supervision.

14. Through these initiatives, we progressively brought down our 2-year recidivism rate. For the 2021 release cohort, the recidivism rate is 22%. If we exclude drug consumption offences, it is about 11%.

15. Corrections 2030 will build on these foundations. SPS will do more, to uplift not only the inmates, but also their families and children, to prevent intergenerational offending.

16. The focus on intergenerational offending is important.

(a) In a study conducted by SPS in 2019, we found a high rate of second-generation offending amongst children with drug-abusing parents - 22%.

(b) A separate study by Singapore’s Ministry of Social and Family Development in 2020 found similar concerns. Children whose parents had offended criminally, were three times as likely to have contact with the criminal justice system themselves in the future, as compared to other children.

17. Corrections 2030 will focus on building the economic, social and community capital of our inmates, building three different capitals.

Building Economic Capital

18. Let me start with our focus on building economic capital.

19. For ex-offenders, employment is key:

(a) It enables them to provide for their family;

(b) It helps restore their sense of self-worth; and in this process,

(c) It helps them to desist from going back to a life of crime.

(i) We studied the 2-year recidivism rates of offenders who were continuously employed and those who were not. So, this is a proper study with control. The data is telling: for the 2020 release cohort, the recidivism rate of those who were not employed continuously for at least six months was 19.2%. If they had been continuously employed for at least six months, the recidivism rate falls to 13.9%.  If the individual was able to keep himself or herself in employment for 18 months, the recidivism falls to 7%.

20. So, you think about the numbers – 19.2%, 13.9% and 7%. What it means is that if you are able to stretch the employment, from six months to 12 months to 18 months, the recidivism rate can be halved to actually a fairly low level. You can think of it in yet another way, which is that when we talk about unlocking second chances, employment is the not-so-secret key, but it is one that easily slips through our fingers.

21. SPS and Yellow Ribbon Singapore, or YRSG, another Department of the Ministry of Home Affairs, work together on this front. Keep the key in our hands, make sure as best as we can to use it to unlock that valuable life-transforming second chance.

(a) YRSG uplifts inmates through skills and career development, while they are serving their sentence in prison. In 2023, more than 4,000 inmates attended skills training programmes. The inmate population is about 11,000, so 4,000 versus 11,000 amongst our inmate population.

(b) YRSG partners trade associations, and over 6,500 employers from various industries, to facilitate job placement for ex-offenders after release.

(c) YRSG also offers career retention support to ex-offenders who, like everyone else, experience workplace pressures but at a far more intense level – personally, for their families, as well as colleagues.

(i) Our data shows that a higher proportion of ex-offenders stayed employed in their jobs when assisted by YRSG, compared to those who did not receive such job coaching assistance.

22. SPS has also gotten support from various non-governmental organisations (NGOs), to help ex-offenders pursue their career goals.

(a) One such initiative is the Yellow Ribbon Fund, which offers the Skills Training Assistance to Restart Bursary, or STAR Bursary. The bursary provides financial assistance to ex-offenders who wish to embark on skills training and further education. Since its launch in 2010, the bursary has disbursed over S$2.7 million to close to 300 beneficiaries.

Building Social Capital

23. Let me now turn to our second area of focus – building social capital. Supportive social relationships and networks help ex-offenders to sustain their commitment to lead crime-free lives. We often say, “No man is an island”. So, the same for the ex-inmates, we need that social support.

24. Over the years, SPS has implemented many initiatives that focus on the inmates’ families. Our belief is that when the families are supported, they can in turn better support the inmate’s rehabilitation journey. The risk of intergenerational offending is therefore also reduced.

25. These efforts with the families are continuous and coordinated, from in-care to after-care, or what we call “through-care”. SPS is very fortunately supported by over 20 NGOs in this effort.

(a) During incarceration, the inmates and families have access to social and financial assistance and support.

(b) They also participate in family-focused programmes to learn skills to rebuild relationships with one another. Sometimes, it is not rebuilding, it is building.

(i) In 2023, over 3,000, or about one-third, of SPS’s inmates and over 1,000 children benefitted from such programmes. Many of these programmes are run by the NGOs.

(c) The support for families continues after the ex-offender is released and returns to the family. We have observed and seen for ourselves that release can be a stressful period for the ex-offender and the family.

(i) Trained social workers are therefore assigned to support the family coming back together, which in some cases could be after many years apart, decades even.

(ii) Volunteers from faith-based organisations, secular groups, and community districts also lean forward to support.

26. In fact, there are more than 4,500 volunteers and over 60 NGOs, working alongside SPS and YRSG to support the inmates and ex-offenders and the families. A bit of trivia – we only have about 2,400 staff in SPS and YRSG. This means when compared to the 4,500 volunteers that we have, it is about twice as many volunteers as staff!

(a) The volunteers provide a range of rehabilitative programmes and activities for our inmates. This includes support groups, mentoring programmes, interest-based activities and personal development programmes.

(b) There are also volunteers who provide religious programmes and services, addressing the spiritual needs of our inmates.

(c) Some of our volunteers extend their support to the after-care phase, as Through-care Volunteers, Befrienders and Volunteer Case Officers.

Building Community Capital

27. This brings me to our third area of focus, that of building community capital.

28. Under Corrections 2030, SPS will also focus on inspiring ex-offenders to pay forward, their acceptance back into society.

(a) For example, we established a Desistor Network in 2023, comprising ex-offenders who have successfully reintegrated into the community. We are partnering them to provide mentorship and support to other ex-offenders. Their experience is directly relevant, and resonates with those who are struggling on their own journey.

29. The SPS team will be sharing more about how we build social capital, economic capital, and, very importantly, community capital especially through initiatives like the Desistor Network. More will also be about the Corrections 2030 blueprint.

Conclusion

30. So, let me now conclude. All of us make mistakes. Some of us unfortunately make bigger mistakes, including crimes which are punishable by the law.

31. Having done so, what matters from that point on, is that we don’t repeat the mistakes, and that we put our lives back on track.

32. There will be many ups and downs along the rehabilitation and reintegration journey, and the road will be rough, a little bit like the road that you travelled yesterday, whether it was for five kilometres or for 10 kilometres. In fact, Senior Minister Lee who was at the run yesterday, had asked Commissioner Shie about this route. She had very patiently explained to him that it is deliberately designed to reflect ups and downs of the journey of an ex-offender. Much depends on individual will and the attitude of the ex-offender.  But, the journey is not necessarily only a personal one.

33. Society can help, by giving them second chances, and supporting them through this very difficult journey. The chances of success are definitely higher, if there are people around the ex-offenders who care, who are willing to give a hand, or even just words of encouragement and support as everyone who shown up for the run yesterday did.

34. This is not just about being kind to ex-offenders, although that in itself is a meaningful and worthwhile thing to do, and it is also not just appealing to our compassion. It is actually a very hard-nosed way of thinking about it, that society is better off if we are able to do this. If we reduce offending, re-offending, and intergenerational offending, society, and all of us, will be safer, all of us will live in a better society.

35. In this regard, I would like to take the opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to all our volunteers and our partners amongst the NGOs all over the world who are helping to provide second chances for ex-offenders. What you are doing is not only noble, but beneficial and impactful to society.

36. And to all of our colleagues in the Corrections Authorities, all the officers who don your uniforms in order to perform this incredibly difficult duty – your mission of enforcing secure custody of offenders, and helping them turn their lives around, is challenging, but fulfilling. You are not just an important part of the criminal justice system. You are helping to keep society safe. As what we would like to think in SPS, you are a Captain of Lives.

37. On this note, let me wish you all a very fruitful conference. Thank you very much for having me.