Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on the Number of Inmates over the Past Three Years who are Released from Prison and have Homes to Return to, by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law

Question:

Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) in the past three years, how many inmates who are released from prison have homes to return to; (b) what solutions are there for those who do not have a place to stay; and (c) whether the Ministry works with the Singapore Prison Service to coordinate interim housing for former inmates.

Answer:

1.     The vast majority of inmates who are released from prison have homes to return to.

2.     For inmates who do not have a place to stay after their release, the Family Resource Centre at the Singapore Prison Service will refer them to interim housing options, such as halfway houses and shelter homes. In the past three years, around 850 such referrals were made. This represents about 3% of the total number of inmates released.