Prison Ministry in Singapore from 1965 to 1985 : an alternative socio-cultural faith-based rehabilitation approach

Abstract

The legacy of Singapore’s prison ministry has been significantly overlooked in terms of its history and contributions to local rehabilitation approaches. Utilising new primary sources through the oral interviews conducted during this research process to gain perspective from ex-inmates, volunteers, staff who have been part of or impacted by the prison ministry, this paper provides a new narrative of the history of Singapore’s prison ministry between 1965 and 1985. Through extending existing history of Singapore’s prison ministry with the new narrative, this study argues that the Christian community in Singapore initiated an alternative socio-cultural faith-based rehabilitation that complemented the efforts of the prison welfare service. The rehabilitation was done through an intentional religious intervention by going into the prison, ministering, and educating prisoners in accordance to the Christian faith. The revised history of Singapore’s prison ministry helps identify how the ministry functioned both as a spearhead and system of positive of influence and change through three ways: introducing mentorship, meeting the needs of individuals during transitional rehabilitation period, and engaging community.