Doing time in prison may for some be a total waste of time. But as many released prisoners will testify, it could also be a time of radical life transformation, preparing prisoners to live responsibly and honourably before God and others.

Pre-sentence Preparation and Counselling

While the accused is being helped, FLM staffs provide counselling services for family members and look into the various needs arising from their family member’s incarceration.

Chapel Services

Every weekend, prison inmates gather at nearly 40 different prison venues and time slots to worship God. Volunteers representing nearly 60 churches enter prison to lead worship, deliver inspirational messages, and befriend inmates. Preachers follow a preaching curriculum that is aimed at exhorting inmates to live a transformed life.

Bible Study/Counselling

While chapel services inspire, Bible study sessions help inmates learn the steps towards living the transformed life. A 3-year curriculum is being developed to be launched in 2010, which will cover 3 major themes:

a) Life skills

b) Recovery and Inner healing

c) Attitudinal Changes.

The Bible study sessions also allow inmates to talk about their joys and struggles as well as to discuss practical areas of life change.

Intensive Religious Counselling Programme IRCP

In August 2006, PFS initiated the first IRCP. The IRCP is an 18-month Christian discipleship programme aimed at bringing about life transformation. Areas taught include Knowing God, Knowing Ourselves, Spiritual Formation and Disciplines, Inner Healing, Reconciliation and Healing of Relationships, Life-skills, and Recovery Issues. Participants also receive regular individual counselling from qualified and experienced pastoral counsellors.

Churches that have committed to receiving released prisoners (‘receiving churches’) are invited to conduct worship services and participants are assigned to be “cared” for by these respective churches. Upon the participants’ release, receiving churches will help the inmates, who have been placed in their care since the start of the programme, to integrate into their congregations.

Community Reintegration Programme

The Community Reintegration Programme, or CRP for short, is an initiative of Singapore Prison Service. CRP is one of a series of rehabilitation programmes to address problems that may interfere with an inmate's ability to function effectively in society upon release.  It works towards preparing the inmates adequately for their return into the community in the areas of employment and social reintegration.

It consists of related skills training, which cover common obstacles such as job search, goal setting and money management.  Essentially, CRP is divided into 3 modules, being, Career Guide, Reintegration with Community, & Reintegration with Family.  Barring certain criteria, all inmates are eligible for this programme, which is delivered two months before their release from prison.

PFS has been working with Singapore Prison in providing volunteer-facilitators for weekly sessions.  This gives us the opportunity to build a working relationship with the inmates for aftercare purposes, especially in the area of church integration and community reintegration.

Pre-Release Counselling

Between 2-6 months prior to the prisoner’s release, PFS prepares him for re-integration into society.

A pre-release curriculum is taught in some prisons to help inmates prepare emotionally and spiritually for their release. Inmates are also interviewed individually by Aftercare staff. Their needs are noted and Aftercare staffs make preparations (such as housing or employment arrangements) for their release. Inmates are also strongly encouraged to participate in the weekly support group meetings, which are designed to help them walk through the difficult initial period of freedom.