NCJ Number
87785
Date Published
1982
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This discussion of Singapore's prison industries considers the historical and organizational development of the industries, some problems encountered, the participation of the private sector, and the sale of products and services.
Abstract
After World War II, the development of prison industries in Singapore grew from ad hoc efforts by those who perceived the rehabilitation benefits of this new approach. A distinct structure was given to prison industries when in 1955 a separate Prison Industries Division was created within the Prisons Department. The expansion of activities and the volume of products and services in the 1960's put a great strain on the Prison Industries Division. It led the 1974 Prison Reorganization Committee to observe that prison industries over the years had been handicapped by major problems in the areas of staff, operations, and workshop facilities. In 1975, the Parliament established the Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises to manage and maintain industrial or vocational training institutions and other institutions for the employment and training of prisoners. The management of the corporation is entrusted to a board of management whose members are appointed by the Minister for Home Affairs. This institution replaced the Prison Industries Division. The corporation has sought to replicate in prison industries the work demands found in private industry so as to prepare prisoners for the work environment on the outside. Private manufacturing companies establish factories in the prisons under the corporation's supervision. The corporation competes in the marketplace like any other industrial organization. Lower productivity has affected the competitive edge of prison industries, although certain products, such as cane products, enjoy a reputation for quality and consistency.