National Youth Achievement Award ‘first step’ for 21-year-old inmate, who aims to be a social worker

SINGAPORE – When Vic (not his real name) was a Nitec student studying mechatronics and robotics engineering, his school days rarely involved reading. He often skipped classes to drink and smoke with his friends, which led him to be expelled from ITE for truancy in 2021 when he was 18.  

Mixing with bad company eventually led to him being sentenced to 15 months’ jail for voluntarily causing hurt, shop theft and drug abuse.

Today, the 21-year-old is an avid reader. Since he started serving his sentence in December 2023, he has read more than 50 books and regularly swaps finished titles with other inmates in order to read more. His favourite author is suspense writer Sidney Sheldon.

On Nov 27, he was one of 94 inmates who received the National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA), which recognises young people who have completed the self-development programme.

The public programme is available to all young people aged 13 to 30, and entails voluntary activities they take part in during their free time, that are designed to help them develop personal qualities and skills to make a difference to themselves, their communities and the world.

The award is given to participants who chalk up 59 to 144 hours in activities in service learning, outdoor appreciation and healthy living under the national programme.

The NYAA programme was introduced by Singapore Prison Service (SPS) in 2000, in collaboration with the NYAA Council.

The SPS’s NYAA programme organises activities designed to develop personal qualities and instil positive values in inmates aged 16 to 30. These participants fulfil the same requirements as other young people attempting the national programme.

The award ceremony was held at Tanah Merah Prison and attended by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth Eric Chua, who commended inmates for their participation in the programme.

“(The NYAA) is a programme that reflects the power of second chances – offering the opportunity for youths to learn and grow to become better versions of themselves. Just as importantly, they are also empowered to give back to others in meaningful ways,” he said.

Superintendent Chng Kuok Leong, chairperson of the NYAA Ceremony 2024, said the programme lets young offenders “learn new skills, develop whole person qualities and, most importantly, cultivate the attitude of service to help others in need”.

“This is important in their rehabilitation journey, and I congratulate them for the achievements they have made today,” he added.

Vic was awarded the Gold award – the highest tier – under the NYAA programme, which required at least 60 hours of service learning activities, 36 hours of outdoor appreciation activities and 48 hours of healthy living activities.

It also required him to undertake a community leadership initiative project. He and other inmates designed cards for a 3.6m by 3.6m life-sized monopoly board game that was donated to residents of Jenaris Home who suffer mental health issues.

Vic was just 17 when he had his first brush with the law, when he drunkenly started a fight. He had six subsequent run-ins with the law for various offences, but did not face prison time until Dec 2023.

“When I was first incarcerated, I was scared,” he said. “It was a real wake-up call for me.”

While he initially found it difficult to adjust to the lack of freedom in his new environment, Vic said he has found renewed purpose in his life through reading and by participating in the activities organised by the NYAA programme. These include futsal, the Yellow Ribbon Prison Run, and first aid training.

“Initially I looked at it just as a way for me to pass the time,” he said of his participation in the programme. “But I gradually started looking forward to the different activities (organised) every week.”

The activities that he found most meaningful were the service learning activities, such as creating festive cards for disabled and destitute residents of Moral Welfare Home.

“It reminded me that no matter where you are in the world, there’s always a way for us to give back,” he said.

He found participating in the National Library Board’s Read for Books 2024 campaign the most memorable.

Under this charity drive, one book is donated to the less privileged for every 10 people who read for 15 minutes in the month of July. Participating inmates read for 6,180 minutes, contributing a total of 999 books to the cause.

“It was something that I already enjoyed and it was a very simple thing to do,” he said. “I was already reading for knowledge, but now I also had the chance to read to give back.”

Vic and his elder sister share a close bond, and she tries to visit him in prison monthly. The pair also exchange weekly letters, where they update one another about their lives.

His sister, now 24, had always been his closest confidant during his tumultuous childhood, he said. From the time he was 11, Vic and his sister stayed in Chen Su Lan Methodist Children’s Home, as his alcoholic parents were incapable of taking care of them. They stayed there till they turned 18.

“She’s always been taking care of me,” he said. “Even now, she’s someone I can always turn to in times of trouble.”

Vic has also been trying to better himself in prison in other ways. Vic has applied to further his studies by joining the Normal (Academic) stream programme in Prison School from January 2025.

He hopes to pass the GCE N(A)-Level examinations when he is released in 2025, in order to qualify for the Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP), a one-year preparatory programme for Normal (Academic) students keen to pursue polytechnic diplomas.

“When I go back to school, I’m going to commit to my studies and be more responsible this time,” he said.

Vic said his dream is to be a social worker. He views his NYAA gold award as an important step in the right direction.

“It’s just the first step in my journey. Eventually, I want to be able to help other people like me.”