First secular halfway house opens for women ex-offenders

SINGAPORE – Women looking to reintegrate into society upon their release from prison have a new sanctuary to help them reach their goals.

Rise Above Halfway House, a collaboration between the Singapore Muslim Women’s Association (PPIS) and the Singapore Prison Service (SPS), was officially opened on Tuesday.

The initiative is the first secular halfway house for women offenders undergoing community-based rehabilitation programmes.

A spokesman for PPIS told The Straits Times that while drugs are a common offence among the residents, the halfway house does not limit itself only to former drug abusers.

“We basically accept those whom the SPS refers to us, those who have been deemed ready for community-based rehabilitation programmes,” the spokesman said.

The halfway house in St George’s Lane can accommodate up to 30 residents at any one time.

Rise Above is also the second all-women residential halfway house in Singapore.

Speaking to around 100 guests at the opening ceremony, Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam said halfway houses like Rise Above will always have the Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) support.

He added that halfway houses provide offenders with good role models and are where they attain a sense of confidence and self-worth.

“I think they will be better able not to go and reoffend,” he said.

“MHA is an extremely strong supporter and partner for this, and you will always have our support.”

He said halfway houses like Rise Above, which are neither completely state-run or fully private, are “a typical Singaporean example”.

On one hand, a fully state-run facility would be run by civil servants who could lose the passion that volunteers can provide, Mr Shanmugam noted.

On the other hand, a fully private approach would mean those organisations would need to raise funds themselves, he added.

He said there is a limit to how much can be done by society, without the help of the Government.

“I have been a very strong supporter of this entire approach, which is in parallel to the correction system and system within prisons.

“This is extremely important,” added Mr Shanmugam, who attended the official opening with Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim.

Since September 2022, the halfway house has served 46 residents. Thirteen of them have reintegrated into the community, according to PPIS president Hazlina Abdul Halim.

The halfway house engages its residents by equipping them with essential skills that allow them to live independently through cooking and routine duties.

They tend to a sensory garden gifted by social enterprise Edible Garden City. The garden’s produce is used in their meals.

Rise Above also provides residents with self-coping skills and case management to support their employment and eventual accommodation.

Residents have a small library and a computer room that allows them to hone their skills.

Madam Hazlina said Rise Above has so far successfully matched all its residents to either a job or training within three months of their stay.

More importantly, it also facilitates family visits to foster meaningful connections between the women and their families.

“It is on all of us to create a future where no woman is left behind, no girl is held back,” she added.