25
April 2004 is a date to remember in the history of the Singapore Prison Service.
After nine years of planning and construction, the first Cluster of the Changi
Prison Complex (CPC) is finally fully operational!
25
April 2004 is a date to remember in the history of the Singapore Prison Service.
After nine years of planning and construction, the first Cluster of the Changi
Prison Complex (CPC) is finally fully operational!
Conceptualised in 1995, the CPC will be the first purpose-built prison that incorporates a cluster management system. Technology will play a major role in the better management of prisons in the CPC, with 24-hour surveillance through the use of an extensive CCTV system. It will also allow the management of more inmates with no increase in manpower.
Known as Cluster A, the newly operational Cluster has a design capacity for 5357 inmates. It now houses 5300 inmates previously from three different prison institutions – Changi Prison, Jalan Awan Prison and Moon Crescent Prison and Reformative Training Centre. There are a total of 16 self-contained Housing Units in Cluster A, with their own dining halls, industrial workshops, indoor recreation yard, laundry rooms, classrooms and tele-visit rooms. Most inmate activities, such as work, recreation, medical consultation and the delivery of rehabilitative programmes and counselling will take place in the Housing Units themselves.
Cluster A has several unique facilities – a 24-hour Medical Centre with 92 beds and 12 cells, the Maximum Security Section which houses the condemned inmates, a commercial laundry, and a Food Hub, with bakery, food manufacturing and processing workshops, and a training kitchen for food preparation. Two new features to support the entire CPC have also been introduced. They are the Prison Link Centre Changi (PLCC), the registration centre for inmates’ visitors to CPC; and the Interim Transit Centre, which serves as the security checkpoint for all vehicles moving in and out of CPC.
The Cluster Management system calls for changes in mindset for Prisons staff. One of the greatest challenges is developing a Cluster culture and spirit amongst staff who were previously from different institutions. The Cluster A management team also learnt that integrated planning, and not coordinated planning, is detrimental to the efficient and smooth operationalisation of CPC in general.
A visit to Cluster A has been included in the 24th APCCA programme. We look forward to hosting you in October this year.
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Cluster A with the Transit Centre (with its blue roof) on the left. |