Improving Numbers, Quality and Effectiveness of Prison and Drug Counsellors

Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs what are the Ministry's efforts to improve the numbers, quality and effectiveness of prison and drug counsellors.

Mr Teo Chee Hean: The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) protects society through the safe custody and rehabilitation of offenders. Effective rehabilitation and successful reintegration of offenders back into society contribute to a safer Singapore.

The number of counsellors has increased by 50% in the last five years, from 65 in 2007 to 98 in 2012. SPS plans to increase the number further to support its new structured aftercare initiatives to rehabilitate offenders.

The qualifications of the counsellors have also improved. The percentage of counsellors with specialised Master Degrees has more than doubled from 14% in 2007 to 36% in 2012. As of 2012, SPS has sponsored 36 officers for postgraduate studies.

SPS has in place a structured professional development framework for its counsellors. In addition to in-house training, the counsellors are sponsored for professional certification in clinical supervision and other specialised areas. They also share and exchange best practices with the wider professional community, as well as attend local and overseas conferences regularly.

SPS adopts an evidence-based approach to measure the effectiveness of its counsellors in rehabilitating offenders. The rehabilitation programmes are specially designed based on offenders' risks and needs, with the aim of developing self-control in offenders and helping them understand the importance of taking responsibility for their own actions. These programmes are regularly evaluated for effectiveness and are supported by the latest research. Together with rehabilitation efforts in other areas, such as employment, aftercare, and community partnership, SPS has seen encouraging results. Since 2000, the overall two-year recidivism rate dropped from 40% for the 2000 release cohort to 27% for the 2009 release cohort.

Competent and committed prison counsellors are necessary to deliver effective rehabilitation programmes for offenders to reintegrate successfully back into society, but they are not sufficient in themselves. Ultimately, the individual offender has to be responsible for his or her own actions upon release. They have to commit themselves to remake their lives and reintegrate into society. SPS will work closely with offenders' families and our community partners to assist them in their reintegration journey.

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