DRUG ADDICTS IN PRISONS AND HALF-WAY HOUSES

Mdm Claire Chiang See Ngoh asked the Minister for Home Affairs what is the total number of drug addicts in prisons and half-way houses and what are their (i) socio-economic characteristics; (ii) educational attainment; (iii) after-care rehabilitation needs; (iv) level of recidivism; and (v) employability potential.

Mr Wong Kan Seng: As at 30th April 1998, there were 5,258 drug addicts receiving treatment and rehabilitation, of whom 275 were residing in halfway houses (HWH).

Socio-economic characteristics

55% of the inmates in our Drug Rehabilitation Centres (DRCs) and HWHs are Malay. More than 60% of the inmates are between 25 and 39 years old. 51% and 40% have attained primary and secondary education respectively.

Recidivism

In 1997, the average relapse rate was 66%. From its peak of 81% in 1994, 1997 was the third consecutive year the relapse rate had fallen.

Aftercare rehabilitation needs

A Prisons Department survey showed that employment was the top concern of 32% of the inmates, followed by the need for continued counselling (21%) and vocational training opportunities (21%). Our current rehabilitation programmes already focus on offering employment opportunities and aftercare support for recovering drug addicts. Workshops in DRCs offer work opportunities for the inmates and enable them to learn on-the-job skills. SCORE also offers a variety of vocational and generic training courses for drug inmates. Addicts may improve their employability by upgrading their educational levels through "BEST" and "WISE" programmes.

In the area of aftercare support, the Community Based Rehabili tation Programme (CBR) allows addicts to be released earlier into the community to continue their rehabilitation in a supportive environment. CBR emphasises stable work, regular counselling and continuous support from either the family or the community. SCORE also runs a structured and comprehensive counselling programme called the Aftercare Counselling Programme (ACP) for drug addicts. More than 1,600 recovering addicts and their families have benefited from the ACP.