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A SECOND CHANCE
THE PRISONS PROGRAMME
by Care Corner Family Service Centre (Woodlands)
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour." (Luke 4: 18-19)
Going by current statistics, more than 11,000 ex-offenders from our prisons and Drug Rehabilitation Centres (DRCs) complete their sentences and are released yearly (source: www.prisons.gov.sg). It is also estimated that 8.75 million people are held in prisons around the world (Pg 4 - UBS World Report Aug/Sept ’04). As the Lord has commanded, the onus lies upon us to answer that call...
"Rehab - Restart – Renew" The prison’s clarion call
Recently, Care Corner Family Service Centre (Woodlands) answered that call and won a tender by the Singapore Prisons Service (SPS) to provide Family Life Programs for both inmates and their families as a major part of its holistic rehabilitation program for offenders. We are thankful for Care Corner Counselling Centre (CCCC)’s involvement in supporting the programme at Sembawang DRC (SD). We also wish to thank 2 dedicated volunteers: Mr Richard Tan and Mr William Heng, for their commitment in serving together.
The programme runs over 20 months from September 2008 to June 2010 and involves servicing five institutions:
1) Khalsa Crescent Prison (KCP)
2) Sembawang DRC (SD)
3) Selarang Park DRC (SPD)
4) Tanah Merah Prison (TMP)
5) Queenstown Remand Prison (QRP).
The program comprises the following components:
1)
Integrative Family Program (IFP)
2)
General Family Program (GFP)
3) Reintegration Family Program (RFP)
The GFP focuses mainly on inmates, while the IFP and RFP provide opportunities for longer interaction between inmates and families through groupwork as well as joint family sessions.
As we impart critical skill sets, knowledge on family life, and useful information on the availability of community resources to the inmates and their family members, we also focus on the greater need to engage participants in matters of the heart, spirit and soul, especially in attending to their myriad of emotional needs. Imprisonment often cause souls to be troubled, lost and empty. Spirits are broken. Most of the inmates and family members shared these traumas with us and with each other, as part of the group dynamics and therapeutic process. The family sessions have also become a kind of ‘unofficial’ support group. There were tears, smiles and laughter. There were brotherly and sisterly hugs and a sense of renewed hope, faith and purpose to these lives.
In the sessions, our facilitators shared anecdotes, motivational words of wisdom, and used vivid images to help participants reflect on their struggles and challenges such as the choices they made and the resulting effects this had on themselves and their loved ones. Positive visualisation gave them an example of how life could be different for them with a stronger sense of purpose and personal responsibility. Indeed, the inmates may be behind bars but their minds and their spirits will continue to grow and mature as they await release. Families also learn about resilience while receiving affirmation and encouragement for their faithfulness in standing alongside their husbands/fathers/sons. We believe that the sessions have enabled and empowered the inmates and their families towards a renewed sense of confidence, stronger family bonds and freedom within their hearts.
Everybody deserves a second chance.
These are men, who in their moments of vulnerability and folly, succumbed to temptations and landed behind bars. They might have hurt others, but they too, have been hurt by their circumstances.
For more information on the Prisons Programme, please contact Care Corner FSC (Woodlands) at Tel: 6362 2481. |
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