Leadership Changes in the Singapore Prison Service

1. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will have a leadership change in the Singapore Prison Service (SPS).

2. Ms Shie Yong Lee, 53, currently Commissioner of Prisons, will relinquish her appointment on 1 April 2026 and take on a leadership appointment in MHA.

3. Ms Shie has served the Home Team with distinction for 30 years and held several key appointments in SPS, including Deputy Commissioner of Prisons and Chief of Staff, as well as Director (Civil Defence and Rehabilitation), Policy Development Division in MHA Headquarters.

4. Under Ms Shie’s leadership, SPS has consistently remained as one of the safest and most secure prisons in the world, characterised by effective inmate management and low recidivism rates. SPS is also well recognised amongst the international correctional community as a global leader in corrections.

5. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms Shie led SPS in effectively coordinating plans and actions to mitigate the unprecedented challenges and implementation of containment strategies to keep the COVID-19 situation under control, while ensuring programmes for inmates could continue to support their reintegration back to the community.

6. In her tenure as Commissioner of Prisons, Ms Shie spearheaded SPS’s transformation, leveraging technology such as the implementation of closed-circuit television surveillance coverage and video analytics in the prisons’ institutions for a safer environment, and the introduction of tablets for inmates to correspond with their families through e-letters. Automation of routine tasks had also helped to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness, freeing up prison officers’ time to engage in more purposeful interactions with inmates that would help with their rehabilitative needs.

7. Ms Shie also steered SPS to expand and enhance partnerships with the community, to co-create initiatives for inmate rehabilitation and reintegration. Such efforts had helped mobilise more community partners and volunteers to support inmates’ families and increase inmates’ economic, social and community capital to better reduce re-offending, for a safer Singapore.

8. Mr Matthew Wee Yik Keong, 51, currently Deputy Commissioner of Prisons (Operations and Rehabilitation), will be appointed as Commissioner of Prisons on 1 Apr 2026.

9. In his 27 years of service with the Home Team, Mr Wee has held several key leadership appointments, including Chief Executive Officer of Yellow Ribbon Singapore (YRSG) [previously known as Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (SCORE)] and Yellow Ribbon Industries Pte. Ltd., Commander of Cluster A, and Director of the Community Corrections Command.

10. As Deputy Commissioner of Prisons (Operations and Rehabilitation), he led the review of the Community Action for the Rehabilitation of Ex-Offenders (CARE) Network, with a renewed focus on capability building for the aftercare sector. This included the introduction of cross-sector mentorship programmes, strengthening of volunteer training and fostering of new partnerships to expand support for beneficiaries. The CARE Network Gala Dinner in September 2025 raised over $1.7 million for CARE Network agencies, to support over 2,000 beneficiaries.

11. Under his leadership, Mr Wee also led SPS to enhance its research capabilities and implemented evidence-based rehabilitation approaches to achieve low and sustainable recidivism rates in Singapore.

12. In his previous appointment as Chief Executive Officer of YRSG, Mr Wee steered the organisation through the COVID-19 pandemic while embarking on an organisation-wide transformation, including restructuring and rebranding to prepare for the future. During his term as CEO of YRSG, YRSG launched the Skills Masterplan and Careers Masterplan to shift from a training and placement model to lifelong learning and long-term career growth for inmates. These initiatives contributed towards achieving the goals of uplifting ex-offenders’ lives, reducing recidivism and promoting second chances for a more inclusive and cohesive society.

Annex

1. Annex - Photo of SPS Commissioner [PDF, 145 KB]