{"id":31369,"date":"2023-09-20T14:00:58","date_gmt":"2023-09-20T06:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/?p=31369"},"modified":"2024-04-02T11:21:25","modified_gmt":"2024-04-02T03:21:25","slug":"former-convicts-mentors-desistor-network-prevent-re-offending","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/former-convicts-mentors-desistor-network-prevent-re-offending\/","title":{"rendered":"These former convicts now mentor others to prevent re-offending"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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As part of the Singapore Prison Service\u2019s Desistor Network, the ex-offenders offer friendship and support to newly released inmates looking to forge a better path.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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TEXT: ANNIE TAN<\/p>

PHOTOS: ANDREW ONG, BRUCE MATHIEU, DAVID KING THORAIRAJAN<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Thrice a week, a small group of cyclists meet at Seletar Aerospace Park. They then cross the island together, covering distances of more than 50km on two wheels.<\/p>

But this collective \u2014 known as Break The Cycle<\/a> \u2014\u00a0 is no mere hobbyist group. Founded in 2020, Break The Cycle is part of the Desistor Network<\/a> launched in April 2023 by Singapore Prison Service (SPS), where 53 agencies work with ex-inmates to create a support ecosystem<\/a> that steers them away from re-offending.\u00a0<\/p>

During cycling breaks and breakfast sessions, the cyclists chat about work, family, as well as their struggles and hopes for the future. They form a deep bond<\/a> that often extends beyond cycling. The group\u2019s co-founder, ex-offender Andrew Ong, sums up the clique: \u201cWe do life together.\u201d<\/p>

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THE POWER OF CAMARADERIE<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Andrew Ong founded Break the Cycle, a cycling group for ex-offenders.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Approximately four in 10 former inmates return to prison within five years of release, according to SPS. Ong is part of a small but growing group of ex-convicts helping others navigate the challenging transition from prison life to reduce recidivism. The 45-year-old himself was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment at the age of 18 for his involvement in a gang fight, though he only served nine months after a successful appeal. He shared that his parents\u2019 divorce drove him to seek a sense of belonging in gangs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

However, after his release, he slipped back into his old lifestyle of drug consumption. An overdose at the age of 21 proved to be the wake-up call he needed to get clean. He worked hard to build his career and is now the director of partnership and strategic communications at HCSA Community Services \u2014 a charitable organisation that helps ex-offenders, abused teenage girls and single parents, among others. Knowing how easy it is to backslide into crime, Ong has been volunteering at church and halfway houses for many years to help others stay the course.<\/p>

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Bruce Mathieu regularly shares his experiences as a former inmate with the public.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Such support makes a huge difference, says Bruce Mathieu. The 54-year-old joined a gang at the age of 13, quickly became hooked on heroin \u2014 an addiction with which he struggled for 30 years \u2014 and was imprisoned five times, serving 20 years in total.<\/p>

Some 11 years ago while serving his fifth prison stint, he resolved to turn his life around for his then three-year-old daughter. Since his release in 2016, he has been giving talks at schools, organisations and public events, as well as mentoring newly-released inmates as an SPS volunteer. These include Tian Boon Keng, who was featured in the CNA documentary Inside Maximum Security<\/em>.<\/p>

\u201cA common misconception about mentoring is that it involves a lot of counselling. But no, it involves being a friend in the true sense of the word \u2014 that\u2019s it,\u201d explains Mathieu, who still meets Tian at least once a month, and recently supported him when he shaved his head for Hair For Hope.<\/p>

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WHY IS IT SO EASY TO RE-OFFEND?<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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David King Thorairajan (left) with mentee Ravin Sadanadan.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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While prison life is known to be challenging, life after release from incarceration isn\u2019t necessarily easy, and re-offending does occur. One possible reason for this is that many inmates find that they have fewer job opportunities upon release, especially those without a good education, notes David King Thorairajan, 41, who volunteers at prison chapel services and through prison befriender programmes.

Thorairajan joined a gang in his teens, got involved in violent fights and was imprisoned twice for a total of eight years, enduring 18 strokes of the cane. During his second sentence, he studied hard and completed his N-, O- and A-levels. Upon discharge, he enrolled at the Singapore Management University, graduating with a double major in psychology and human resources. Despite his qualifications, he had difficulty securing a good job, and eventually started his own life coaching and training company in 2012. Over the years, he has engaged, trained and mentored ex-offenders to coach at-risk youth in schools. <\/p>

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Andrew Ong (third from left) with fellow members of Break the Cycle.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\tBefore they can bounce back, get a job or study, they need to deal with their trauma and baggage \u2013 the hurt, disappointment, unforgiveness. There needs to be a major overhaul because there are patterns of thinking that need to be broken, otherwise the cycle will keep repeating.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAndrew Ong<\/cite>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Mathieu adds that drug addictions are hard to break. \u201cThose who have never been addicted to drugs may think (that kicking a habit) is just a case of mind over matter. That is absolutely hogwash. Drugs rewire your whole brain, so that you cannot function without them,\u201d says Mathieu. \u201cIt is very easy to fall back into addiction. If you veer off half a degree and don’t pull yourself back, in a matter of time, you will realise you are too far off,\u201d he adds.<\/p>

Despite these challenges, all three men agree that the most important factor to avoid re-offending is internal change. \u201cPeople don\u2019t understand that former offenders may have suffered trauma in their lives,\u201d Ong says, adding that many sought solace in gangs because they come from broken families. <\/p>

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STRENGTHENING THE SUPPORT ECOSYSTEM<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Ex-offenders meet up on weekends for Break the Cycle's group cycling outings.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Mentorship under individuals with similar experiences is a powerful avenue to help ex-convicts resolve their internal conflict and drive positive change. \u00a0\u201cBecause who better to know their problems than us? We\u2019ve been through it and done that,\u201d reasons Mathieu.<\/p>

These individuals don\u2019t just relate to their mentees on a personal level; they may also serve as a better sounding board than friends from their past life, who may still be involved in crime. Groups like Break The Cycle provide a safe and accepting community under which ex-offenders can thrive. One such individual is Ravin Sadanadan, whom Thorairajan hired as a coach in his company after mentoring him.<\/p>

\u201cDavid coached me to get back on my feet and gave me opportunities to reach out to other youths in need. I was so motivated to work with them and their families that I completed my diploma, degree and masters in psychology,\u201d said Sadanadan, who is now a senior counsellor at a non-profit organisation.<\/p>

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\n\t\t\t\tBecause who better to know their problems than us? We\u2019ve been through it and done that.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBruce Mathieu<\/cite>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Mentoring former offenders however, is not without its challenges, says Ong. \u201cIt\u2019s not like distributing groceries or cleaning someone\u2019s house \u2013 you don\u2019t see the outcome immediately. There is a lot of backend work, and mentees can often misunderstand you.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cYou have to understand that these are things they project because of their childhood experiences and things that they are dealing with. You must be thick-skinned and not take it personally,\u201d adds Ong, who recently reconnected and began cycling with a youth he had mentored more than 10 years ago.<\/p>

Ong maintains that planting the seed of hope can start a positive and powerful cycle of change.<\/p>

\u201cSome of our cyclists have also volunteered to be befrienders with SPS, journeying with inmates for 12 months upon their release from prison,\u201d he shares.<\/p>

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NAVIGATING LIFE AFTER PRISON <\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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To help reintegrate former inmates into society upon their release, SPS works with Yellow Ribbon Singapore to offer support for job placement and retention, skills assistance subsidies and other education assistance. SPS also helps inmates to apply for financial assistance and provides addiction treatment to those in need of it. Community support is also extended to them via drop-in centres, self-help groups and befrienders, as well as family programmes and family resource centres to support bonding.<\/p>

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