00:00A decade ago, nearly 9,000 people entered Singapore's prisons each year,
00:05but today that number has fallen to about 3,000,
00:08a change Senior Home Minister Faisal Ibrahim attributes to one guiding principle.
00:14Prisons should heal, not punish.
00:17Faisal said the country's prisons have shifted from traditional incarceration
00:21to a through-care model that supports inmates both during and after imprisonment.
00:27Singapore's in-care inmate numbers dropped from 9,242 in 2020 to 7,660 in 2022,
00:36but picked up slightly to 8,336 in 2024,
00:41a year which also saw 2,498 offenders undergoing community corrections.
00:47During a chat session with Malaysian journalist Faisal,
00:51also the Acting Minister in Charge of Muslim Affairs,
00:54said mosques, temples, churches and various community groups
00:58play a crucial role in prisoner rehabilitation.
01:02Faisal said companies hiring ex-inmates receive government grants,
01:06with thousands participating to support rehabilitation.
01:11Inmates are also enrolled in the Yellow Ribbon Project,
01:14where job coaches connect them with employers,
01:17and while it has progressed well,
01:19he said the government wants to do more to prevent re-offending
01:22by helping them stay longer in jobs or find opportunities to advance their careers.
01:27Pan Yuzhou FMT
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