Halfway houses help prevent inmates with drug history from reoffending: Prison service

SINGAPORE – Drug offenders who spend the tail end of their sentences in a halfway house are less likely to reoffend than the general drug offender inmate population, the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) said.

The two-year recidivism rate for the 2019 to 2023 release cohort for inmates with drug antecedents who went through the halfway house programme was generally lower than the overall recidivism rates for those with drug antecedents, an SPS spokesman told The Straits Times in an interview last week.

Drug antecedents refer to inmates with at least one prior drug offence, which includes consumption, possession and trafficking.

In 2022, the two-year recidivism rate for penal and drug rehabilitation centre (DRC) inmates with drug antecedents who underwent the halfway house programme was 23.5 per cent, lower than the 29.7 per cent of the overall group.

On average, about 600 DRC inmates are placed on community-based programmes each year, where they serve the tail end of their detention either in a halfway house, at home, or at a work release camp where they are allowed to leave for work and return afterwards.

The

number of new drug abusers arrested in 2025 increased by 17 per cent

from the year before to 1,165, according to annual statistics from the Central Narcotics Bureau.

Inmates with drug antecedents are about three times more likely to reoffend than those without drug antecedents, the spokesman said. He added that the halfway house programme benefits inmates who may lack family support, have no homes to return to, or whose family environment may not be conducive to their desistance from drug addiction.

“The most difficult challenge in desisting from drugs and crime arises when they complete their detention or sentence in the drug rehabilitation centre or in prison and return to society, and there is no longer a structured and enforced discipline to their daily lives,” he told ST.

Therefore, having a structured environment to support the inmates’ reintegration back into society and a strong network of support in the community are critical for their successful reintegration, the spokesman added.

Eleven halfway houses in Singapore are supported by SPS, with a total capacity of 800 residents at any one time.

The halfway house service model was enhanced in January 2025, increasing the number of halfway house partners from nine to 11.

The enhancements included upgrading the halfway houses to improve accessibility for elderly residents and those with limited mobility, and upskilling halfway house staff.

Selarang Halfway House is the biggest of the halfway houses in Singapore that work with SPS, with a capacity to house 576 residents. It receives about 700 to 800 residents a year.

Each living unit accommodates up to 16 residents and is equipped with basic amenities like a refrigerator, microwave oven, washing machine and water dispenser. Groceries, including items like noodles and sandwich spreads, are provided every two weeks, while fresh bread is supplied every two days.

Residents typically stay for about six to 12 months and receive help with employment and housing. They also go through sessions on regulating their emotions, managing trauma and desisting from drugs.

Selarang Halfway House executive director Freddy Low told ST that the less custodial environment of a halfway house, compared with a prison, provides residents with greater empowerment to make independent decisions and build self-confidence.

“I see a lot of progression in my residents. For instance, someone who initially has many questions about what the community has to offer gradually becomes more informed and confident in utilising these resources. When residents leave us, they are better prepared to reintegrate and more likely to contribute to a lasting desistance in the community,” he added.

For 36-year-old Eman (not his real name), getting to see his son more often as a resident of a halfway house has helped motivate him. Eman started taking drugs at 17, and has been incarcerated four times since 2012.

“When I was inside (prison), I could communicate with my son only through e-letters and when my family came to visit. Now, in the halfway house, I get to see him weekly when he visits and talk to him every day on the phone. It really helps me a lot to not relapse again.”

SPS senior assistant director for community corrections (halfway house/home detention) Mohamed Nizaar Md Ibrahim told ST that the lower recidivism rate for those who have undergone the halfway house programme proves that a step-down approach is needed when it comes to higher-risk groups rejoining society.

“The first few months (after release) are the most vulnerable for them because their finances may not be steady, they may have broken relationships with loved ones, and they have no job or no proper place to stay. The chances of reoffending may be high,” he said.

Support rendered at halfway houses, which ranges from helping inmates with accommodation and jobs to peer support, aims to build their individual motivation to stay away from drugs, Mr Nizar added.

For Amir (not his real name), who has been incarcerated four times since 2015 over drug offences, spending time in a halfway house this time has helped him stay motivated to desist. He did not enter a halfway house during his previous three incarcerations.

The 33-year-old said: “It really helps me. My life is more structured, and I learnt how to stay disciplined and confident. They help me with finding a job and support me in becoming financially stable.”

He is currently employed as an aerospace technician, and aims to maintain the job to grow financially stable while gaining the trust of his family again.