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ISCOS - Part 11 - Not an Ex-offender but a Singaporean

Every reformed ex-offender wishes to put the past behind them. However, the reality is that the world outside the prison after incarceration is a metaphorical second prison, restricting their options severely. The difficulties faced by someone with a criminal record may serve as a deterrent for would-be offenders, but is also a burden on reformed ex-offenders. Whye Kee shares his desire to be seen not as an ex-offender, albeit a successfully reformed one, but as any normal Singaporean.

Successful re-integration is not only beneficial to the ex-offender but to society at large. One ex-offender that successfully re-integrates is one less re-offender and one less victim. More than that, it is one more contributing member of society.

ISCOS - Part 10 - How does ISCOS Help

How does ISCOS help?
While support and encouragement from loved ones have the highest efficacy in helping an ex-offender reintegrate into society, not every ex-offender has the privilege of a supportive family. Many may not have a family or may be estranged from one.

Support can come different sources. Organizations, both governmental and non-governmental, can ease the re-integration process. Such efforts start while the person is still serving his sentence as part of the prison rehabilitation program. The Industrial and Services Co-operative Society (ISCOS) provide programs that are geared towards enhancing the skill levels of their beneficiaries, connecting them with supportive employers, providing social support through positive peer groups and mentors, building stronger family units and extending academic assistance to their children.

Successful ex-offenders like Whye Kee join ISCOS as a “Titan”, to mentor others from the perspective of someone who has successfully transitioned back to society.

ISCOS - Part 9 - Meeting Mrs Tharman

Yellow Ribbon Singapore, a statutory board under the Ministry of Home Affairs, “helps inmates and ex-offenders rebuild their lives and lower the recidivism rate through skills and long term career development, with an effective aftercare support network.” It was in one of the Yellow Ribbon events that Whye Kee was demonstrating his pottery skills that he met Mrs Tharman, wife of Senior Minister Tharman, who invited him to join the grassroot organizations to serve the community.

For the first time in his life, he felt the joy of being in a position to help others. He was treated as a normal citizen and not as an ex-offender. This further consolidated his position as a contributing member of society, leaving his criminal past behind for good.

ISCOS - Part 8 - Whye Kee joining the pottery club

While his father’s death sparked his decision to leave his criminal past behind, Whye Kee was able to sustained his path of redemption through discovery of the art of pottery while in prison. He joined the pottery club while still serving his time and devoted all his energy to developing the craft. Pottery turned out to be a major pull factor for him to stay on the straight and narrow. It gave him something to focus on and to be good at. That in turn served as a potential career path for him upon release.

This is an example of the success of the prison reform program. In empowering inmates with a tangible skill that they can make a living with upon release, ex-offenders need not resort to criminal activities again to make a living. Perhaps beyond just making a living, usefull skills such as pottery gives a person a sense of self worth, the lack of which in the past was a push factor towards criminal activities.

ISCOS - Part 7 - Quitting the Gang

Desistence, or leaving the gang, requires steadfastness of purpose. To understand why a person chooses to leave a gang, we need to look at why that person joined a gang in the first place. Some are “pushed” by external factors such as poverty, family problems, failure in school, etc. Others may be “pulled” by the lure of “protection” by the gang, comradeship, financial support etc.
Many studies report a high turnover of gang membership and that most of them stay in a gang for one year or less. However, the longer one stays, the more difficult it becomes to leave. Desistence studies also noted pull and push factors. As the gang member matures and takes on familial responsibilities, he may see the folly of his ways. Coupled with push factors such as police intervention and internal strife within the gang, a gang member may eventually leave to live a normal life.

In Whye Kee’s case, the death of his father served as the turning point. His experience is leaving the gang was relatively atraumatic and he was able to just stay away from the gang. However, for the desistance to be sustained, other factors must also come into play. For Whye Kee, he found his passion while still serving his sentence and was able to direct all his energy into something constructive.