Source: CNN
US news company CNN recently got an exclusive tour of Changi Prison as Singapore’s authorities defended their controversial position on drugs.
The government’s tough stance on drug charges resulted in four executions this year, including a 64-year-old man on 16 Oct.
Amidst continued global scrutiny of the country’s harsh laws, CNN was allowed access into even the maximum-security wing of Changi Prison.
There, prisoners stayed in single-man cells just seven square metres large, with a squat toilet and shower but no bed or furniture.
The inmates are given meals through small hatches on their doors.
CNN reported that temperatures regularly rise over 30 degrees Celsius in there, with no fans or aircon. One prisoner was interviewed saying it was sometimes “unbearable”.
Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam said that the tough conditions in Changi Prison were entirely intentional. He said:
We choose to make it harsh. It is not a holiday home.
Minister Shanmugam also told CNN that the strict punishment served as a deterrent. He called Singapore’s anti-drug activities an “existential battle” and claimed that easing the harsh laws could lead to chaos.
Source: CNN
Mr Shanmugam pointed to other countries as examples, attributing relaxed drug laws to increases in violent crimes like homicide and kidnappings.
Singapore also lies close in proximity to the ‘Golden Triangle‘, an area at the intersecting borders of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar which produces most of the world’s opium.
Despite the tough conditions of Changi Prison, measures are taken to rehabilitate even those in maximum security.
CNN reported an abundance of “wellness messaging” in common areas.
There are also sports as well as classroom lessons in job training to prepare prisoners for life afterwards.
Source: CNN
The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) guards are even instructed to think of themselves as “Captains of Lives”, a label leaning more toward rehabilitation than punishment.
However, one group of inmates does not get rehabilitation: the over 40 prisoners on death row in Institution A1.
Source: CNN
Mr Shanmugam has repeatedly characterised the death penalty as the ultimate deterrent in Singapore’s harsh drug laws.
The effectiveness of this method remains highly debated, with groups like the Transformative Justice Collection arguing against it.
The inmate interviewed by CNN in maximum security gave his personal take, saying that during the time he was selling and taking drugs, he was actively avoiding thinking about any consequences.
Also read: 48-year-old S’porean executed for drug trafficking on 4 Oct, presidential clemency not granted
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Featured image adapted from CNN.
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