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(Singapore) Community-Based Rehabilitation of Offenders in Singapore (PP)

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28 views25 pages

(Singapore) Community-Based Rehabilitation of Offenders in Singapore (PP)

Uploaded by

Trần Hà Anh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Community-based Rehabilitation of

Offenders in Singapore

Bernadette Alexander
Deputy Director / Chief Probation Officer
Probation Services Branch
Ministry of Social and Family Development
Overview
• Singapore’s approach

• Criminal Justice Developments

• Community-based rehabilitation by MSF


Singapore’s Approach

• Graduated approach
• Focus: Reintegration
• Shared responsibility: Family & Community
• Balance: Offender’s best interests and public safety
• Shift towards community based rehabilitation
Criminal Justice Developments
The Underlying Question: Why Punish?

“Each time a judge decides to punish an offender,


he must remember to ask himself the additional
question: Why punish? This will remind him that
the punishment imposed should achieve a
societal purpose and cannot be an end in itself.
Punishment is senseless if it is without an
objective…

- Former Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong


27 Sept 2006, 2nd Yellow Ribbon Conference
The Community Court

• Community Court, launched in 2006


• Adopts a non-traditional, problem-solving
approach that taps on community resources.
• Not merely punishment, but addresses the root
causes of the offending behaviour.

6
The Community Court

• Focuses on certain special categories of cases:


• Youth offenders aged between 16 and 21
• Offenders with mental illness
• Neighbourhood disputes
• Family violence
• Cases involving racial or religious issues

7
Types of Community Sentences
Implemented in 2011 with amendment to the Criminal
Procedure Code

• Mandatory Treatment Order – Institute of Mental Health


• Community Service Order – MSF
• Day Reporting Order – Singapore Prisons Service
• Short Detention Order – Singapore Prisons Service
• Community Work Order

8
Community-based Rehabilitation
of Offenders
Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF)
Community-based Intervention

Diversionary
Programmes Court
Intervention

Youth Juvenile and Adult Offenders


Guidance Programme Probation
Streetwise Programme Community Service Order
(Community Order)
Youth Enhanced Supervision
Community Service Order
Programme
(Maintenance Defaulters)
Legislation

 Children and Young Persons’ Act

 Probation of Offenders Act

 Criminal Procedure Code


Guiding Principles

• Every offender has a capacity to change and grow, if given the


opportunity, support, and understanding

• The offender has to take ownership of his/her rehabilitation and be


accountable for his/her actions

• The family needs to be preserved and strengthened to provide care


and supervision to the offender

• Community involvement to provide a continuum of care and control,


and to support offenders in the community

• Institutionalization as the last resort

To reduce risk of re-offending to ensure public safety


Diversionary Programmes

Rationale
• Offending can be adolescent- and time-limited
• Level of maturity / cognitive ability
• Avoid over-familiarity with Criminal Justice System
• Intensity of intervention to commensurate with the
gravity of the offence
• Rehabilitate youth in the community
Diversionary Programmes - Target Group

Streetwise Programme Youth Enhanced


Guidance Supervision
Enhanced Streetwise Programme
Programme *
Programme *
• First arrest for drug
• Minor offences • Gang members or consumption
associates

• Age: 10 to below 19 • Required to undergo


years old • May also be used as a urine supervision
condition of Probation
Order
• May also be used as
a condition of
• Age: 13 to below 19 Probation Order
years old
• Age: below 21 years
old
Diversionary Programmes - Programme

• 6 months (extendable to 12 months)

• Case management programme by social service


agencies

• Individual, group and family sessions

• Guidance Programme and Enhanced Streetwise


Programme – in lieu of prosecution in Court
Diversionary Programmes - MSF’s Role

• Oversee the programme and agencies


• Programme development & evaluation
• Training of social service agencies
• Funding
• Conduct service audits
• Joint Partnership with agencies
- Singapore Police Force
- Central Narcotics Bureau
- Secret Societies Branch
- Attorney General’s Chambers
- Schools
 6 – 36 months

 Probation conditions :
time restriction, perform community service, hostel residency etc.

 Community-based rehabilitation

 Not equivalent to a conviction if Order is successfully


completed
Serving A Safe Probation Order

Time Restriction Electronic Hostel


Automated Check Monitoring residency
(TRAC) Scheme

For probationers with For higher-risk For higher-risk


curfew probationers probationers

Periodic Court
Reviews
Rigour in risk assessment

Above 18 years

LS/CMI
Level of Service
Case Management Inventory

18 years and below

YLS/CMI
Youth Level of Service
Case Management Inventory
Evidence-based intervention approaches

Risk-Needs-Responsivity
Model

Good Lives Model

Restorative Practice

Motivation Approaches
Simple

Scalable

Value

Innovative

All information may not be quoted without the permission of MSF


Time Restriction Automated
Checks (TRAC) Electronic Monitoring
System Scheme
using Voice Biometric technology for higher-risk probationers
Operational Support
Streamline work processes

Client Information
Seamless and effective case
management
Trends analysis and
information management
Information sharing
across Division
Recidivism Rate

88.9% stayed crime-free!

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