4: WORKING WITH HIGH-RISK CRIMINAL OFFENDERS: CHALLENGES AND INSIGHTS

High-risk offenders are housed in the Pre-release Centre (PRC) in Singapore Prison Service (SPS) prior to their release. In this regime, offenders attend a nine-month programme in a Transformational Environment (TE) and are encouraged to transform their lives and to desist from an offending lifestyle. The programme consists of four phases — orientation, rehab, renew and restart — where offenders are equipped with life and vocational skills to support them with their rehabilitation and reintegration. The TE in PRC is also supported by other processes such as Restorative Practice (RP) and an Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) to manage offenders with behavioural or emotional issues. The main programme in PRC is the Integrated Criminogenic Programme (ICP), which is a psychological-based programme conducted by Correctional Rehabilitation Specialists (CRSes) that targets multiple criminogenic needs to reduce risk of offending and promote a prosocial lifestyle within themselves. CRSes would also work with these offenders after their release to support them in the community using the skills they have learnt. An evaluation of the programme found that offenders who did not receive ICP and aftercare interventions were 1.5 times more likely to reoffend as compared to those who received interventions. Several case vignettes and key takeaways of working with high-risk offenders are discussed.