SINGAPORE PRISONS DEPARTMENT MAKES HISTORY
On Sat 12 Oct 2002, the Singapore Prisons Department launched the pilot project for the world's first Internet Home Tele-visit facility for inmates and their families.
The objectives of this 12-month long pilot project are to evaluate the viability of the Internet Home Tele-visit concept, to test the reliability of the system, and more importantly, to gauge the acceptance level of the inmates and their family members towards this facility.
With this facility, both the Institutions and the inmates' homes will be equipped with a personal computer and video conferencing system such as a web-based camera, microphone and speakers. The families will not be required to purchase them. At a scheduled time, the family members will log on to the Internet video conferencing system to tele-visit with the inmates at the Institutions. The session will be automatically terminated when the visiting time expires.
60 inmates and their families have been selected for this pilot project. Their selection was based on good conduct and positive response to our rehabilitation efforts and having families who are supportive, computer-literate and willing to participate in this pilot.
The pilot implementation will be at Moon Crescent Prison/Reformative Training Centre and Kaki Bukit Centre (Prison School) before being extended to Tanah Merah Prison and Changi Women's Prison.
Family support is essential for the rehabilitation of reforming offenders and their successful reintegration into society. The Internet Home Tele-visit is another opportunity provided by the Department to help inmates stay connected to their families.
This latest initiative is a fine example of leveraging on technology as part of our rehabilitation efforts.
These are some of the feedback we had gathered from two inmates who participated in the trial:
Inmate A: "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to participate in this trial. I feel that it is very good for families who do not have the time to come all the way here to visit due to work commitments. I need not worry about my elderly parents because they need not travel so far to visit me anymore. "
Inmate B: "When the link was up, I was overjoyed to see my own house after a year. I can see the colour of my living room. I was almost unable to control my own emotions. I saw my wife, dad, mum and siblings. Tele-visit has made it possible for me to meet my mum and dad, as they are old and could not come and visit me due to old age sickness; my brother and sisters, who are very committed to their job and business and did not have time to visit me. I can see from their faces that they were very happy to see me again."