Improvements to Support Schemes to Prevent Inter-generational Transmission of Criminality

Dr Shahira Abdullah asked the Minister for Social and Family Development based on the study titled “Understanding the Intergenerational Transmission of Criminality in Singapore” (a) what are the mentoring programme details for at-risk youths; (b) whether programme attendance is by schools’ identification or students’ opt-in; (c) whether there is merit in a gender-based approach; and (d) what improvements can be made to support children whose parents are incarcerated so they may avoid the poverty and delinquency cycle.

Making sure every youth gets to maximise their potential in life: this is our commitment to our young ones. The findings of the study on the intergenerational transmission of criminality in Singapore highlight the importance of early and upstream support to help break cycles of offending and reduce negative outcomes that persist in families across generations.

The Government works closely with community partners to support families and children impacted by incarceration.

Under the Yellow Ribbon Community Project, or YRCP, grassroots volunteers reach out to the families of incarcerated persons through home visits and assist those who need support by linking them up with social service agencies or community programmes for professional help. In the past two years, the YRCP has assisted around 2,700 families. Five hundred and fifty of these were families with children below 18 years old.

Financial, accommodation and social assistance are also rendered to incarcerated persons and their families by the Prisons Family Resource Centres, or FRCs, which operate from the Prison Link Centre in Changi. Close to 4,000 families have received assistance in the last two years. Of these, 150 families received assistance for their children. Where necessary, families are referred to the Family Service Centres, or FSCs, for further casework support within the community. Besides the FSCs, referrals can also be made to youth agencies to provide support services for children and young persons who exhibit behavioural issues or those who could benefit from constructive engagements, such as interest-based activities and mentoring programmes.

The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) also provides family-centric programmes, such as the Social Skills Training Programme and the Family Reintegration Programme, to equip both the inmates and their families with useful skills to foster better relationships. In the past two years, SPS provided about 9,900 programme places to the inmates. SPS also works with other community partners, including The Salvation Army, Centre for Fathering, The Singapore Children’s Society, Industrial & Services Co-Operative Society Ltd, Singapore After-Care Association, Mendaki and SINDA, on programmes and services aimed at addressing the impact of parental incarceration. These include the provision of counselling, tuition assistance, parenting and family bonding programmes.

The Member also asked for details of the mentoring pilot programme which was recently announced at MSF’s Committee of Supply debate. It is part of our efforts to build a preventive support system for our youths and is targeted at students who leave ITE prematurely.

The pilot programme will adopt an interest-based approach, with the aim of empowering youths to achieve their aspirations, by helping to broaden their exposure to opportunities and guide them to explore their interests and career options. We will factor in various considerations in the matching of mentors and mentees, including the gender of the mentors and mentees. Mentors will also be trained to equip them with the skills to engage the youths, develop and manage the mentoring relationship, and support them in addressing the unique needs of their mentees, regardless of gender. We hope the mentors will serve as positive role models and trusted adults their mentees will feel comfortable reaching out to. We are currently working out further details and aim to launch the programme in the fourth quarter of this year.