By MP for Aljunied GRC, Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap
[Delivered in Parliament on 20 Jan 2014]
Madam Speaker,
Thank you for the opportunity to speak. It is heartening to know that there has been a reduction of about 17% in the rate of recidivism among our inmates in a 10-year period from year 2000 to 2010. This was communicated by the Ministry in their press statement dated 11 November 2013. In light of this, this amendment bill which seeks to enhance and strengthen aftercare support and improve the rehabilitation of ex-offenders into society is indeed very encouraging.
In my speech today, I will touch on the Mandatory After Scheme (MAS) segment of this bill.
According to the ministry, under the Mandatory After Scheme (MAS), ex- inmates, upon release from prisons, may be placed in a halfway home followed by home supervision and finally community reintegration. During these phases, the ex-inmates will be provided with counselling and case management apart from other community supports.
Mdm, counselling and case management are one of the most vital and effective elements in facilitating ex-inmates to overcome challenges in their efforts to reintegrate themselves back into society. Ex-inmates require consistent, continuous emotional and psychological support in their bid to build resilience and self-esteem while motivating themselves continually as they transit from prison life and return to the society-at- large. Thus, we must and should enhance on the quality and efficacy of the counselling and case management processes.
With this firmly as the context, I am proposing that it would be good to arrange for those ex-inmates who are undergoing home supervision phase of the Mandatory Aftercare Scheme to have their counselling and case management to be provided by the Family Service Centres or Counselling centres managed by Voluntary Welfare Organisations in proximity of their residential address.
Mdm, there are several benefits to this arrangement. Foremost, counselling and case management would be made accessible given the extensive geographical spread of FSCs and counselling centres across the island. This would certainly reduce the hassle for the ex-inmate. Secondly, through my experience working in FSC, there is a fair number of the ex- inmates next-of-kin or families who may have already been receiving assistance through the respective FSCs and social workers in the FSCs are well acquainted with the family of the ex-inmate. This serves to provide a better knowledge of the larger context in which the ex-inmate and his family is situated in and this would definitely facilitate the process of preparing and assisting the ex-inmates in their desire to re- integrate themselves back into society.
Thirdly, there is no doubt that family support is crucial in the reintegration process and my recommendations would enable the family to play a more active role. Thus, for ex-inmates whose families who are not known to any FSC, I would like to suggest that the Ministry considering encouraging family members or next-of-kin to be involved in the counselling and case management process. At the same time, the social worker assigned to the ex-inmate and the family would also be able to provide timely counselling to their clients.
Additionally, if this idea of having FSC or counselling centres providing counselling and case management during the house supervision phase is implementable, I would like to suggest that the ex-inmates to be given an option to have the presence of a resource person namely a spiritually learned person, for example a pastor or an asatizah for their counselling and case management. The presence of spiritually learned persons can also serve as a point of reference and a guide for the ex- inmates in uplifting their personal well-being. This constitutes a continuation of the spiritual guidance that these ex-inmates have been receiving during the period of their incarceration and during their time spent in the halfway home. The option of providing a resource person should be an option which I hope the Ministry can consider in the Counselling and case management.
Mdm, I hope the ministry can seriously consider my recommendations and further enhance the benefits that this bill can provide for fellow Singaporeans and bring us towards a more inclusive society.
Mdm, I support the bill. Thank you.